Meeting Destiny
by lady jack
Summary: Suppose Tsukushi never met the F4 in high school. Hanazawa Rui hires Makino Tsukushi as his personal assistant - but it's Domyouji who begins to follow Tsukushi around.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Hana Yori Dango, which belongs entirely to Yoko Kamio-san. This story is purely a figment of my imagination.

**The Prologue**

Four years.

Four years of Eitoku University, countless hours of studying, even more cups of tea, all summed up into four long, never ending years. Four years. Makino Tsukushi felt that these four years defined her adult persona, for she grew into maturity in the four long years she'd devoted to Eitoku. Despite her deep hatred for Eitoku after four years of high school, Eitoku University was only a little more bearable, in a bleak comparison.

Tsukushi's high school years had been lonely. True, she had been productive during those long days- she'd graduated with grades impressive enough to snag her place at her prestigious alma matter. Yet, she'd had few friends in those four years- few enough to name on one hand. Her high school years had seemed so empty in hindsight. She had attended her classes, did her homework, and went home after the last bell. Other students led richer lifestyles (no pun intended), attending lavish school festivals and went shopping with friends on the weekends. The most elite F4 lived life to the fullest of all Eitoku students; their antics were often the topic of gossip, rumors, and tabloid headlines. Tsukushi watched all of this pass her by, spending as much time with Yuki and her friends that attended a public school, ignoring the world of Eitoku whenever possible.

Tsukushi had avoided the infamous F4 as much as possible during those four years. The closest interaction she'd had to one of the four prodigal sons was in the form of three exchanged words with the most gentle of them all, Hanazawa Rui. One day she'd run into him in the emergency stairwell in which she often sought solace from the chaos of Eitoku -as, apparently, did he. Rushed words of surprise, an awkward bow of her head, and pink cheeks - her presentation had lacked substance, indeed, and she never quite forgave or understood her meek actions. Why did she fall so helpless and foolish in the presence of Hanazawa Rui, or any of the F4, for that matter? They were certainly no better than her. In fact, Domyouji Tsukasa raged on the level of a maniac at times, and no one liked a madman. What a load of good that did her, though.

Six months had since passed since she'd finally left Eitoku forever.

Six months after her university graduation and Tsukushi was broke, unemployed, and supporting her younger brother. A three room apartment in a dingy part of a Tokyo suburb was all that Tsukushi had to show for herself - as long as she could afford the rent, that is. Long ago Tsukushi had given up thoughts of marrying well and settling down comfortably; her knight in shining armor seemed to have forgotten her. For now, she threw herself into finding a job and protecting the little that she had. She was as tough as a weed, after all. Tsukushi needed no man to support her, even if her bills were piling up quickly and she was almost out of rice to eat. Oh no, Tsukushi was strong; she dared anyone to get in the way of her and her inevitable success. Forget a man - Makino Tsukushi was determined to conquer the world, with her own bare hands and famous weed power.

Little did she know, though, that her knight in shining armor was simply waiting for destiny to bring them together...


	2. Mistaken Identity

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Hana Yori Dango, which belongs entirely to Yoko Kamio-san. This story is purely a figment of my imagination.

**Mistaken Identity**

"Susumu! Get out!"

Makino Tsukushi banged her fist impatiently on the door of her small bathroom, which was currently occupied by her younger brother, Makino Susumu. Tsukushi could hear Susumu shuffling around behind the safety of the door and she hit the door even harder, bellowing at the top of her lungs.

"NOW! Get out before I kill you!"

Surely, her neighbors were not appreciating this ruckus at seven in the morning. Hesitantly, Susumu opened the door to tell her to quiet down but he was not cautious enough; his sister's fist collided directly with his nose in the process. Tsukushi blinked as her brother howled in pain, her hand still raised in the offensive position. Wriggling past him through the doorway, Tsukushi nudged him through the doorway with admirable strength, for someone of her stature. Unfortunately for her, though, Tsukushi had still lost the battle. Almost immediately, a foul stench hit her nostrils and she turned to glare at her brother, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Couldn't you at least crack a window?" She hissed, her eyes narrowed in deep annoyance before she slammed the door shut.

Forget make-up (which she wore little of, anyways): the most Tsukushi could manage in this environment was washing her face and running a brush through her long ebony hair. Brushing her teeth proved difficult as she tried not to breath in the noxious fumes, so she hurried out of the toilet with her toothbrush in mouth, gulping in fresh air on the way to her bedroom. She slipped into a simply tailored black business suit and pulled her hair into a plain ponytail, brushing as she went.

Susumu had snuck back into the bathroom in her absence, where she found him preening himself in front of the mirror. Tsukushi physically removed him from in front of the sink and cleaned her toothbrush, sneaking a few meaningful glares in his direction.

"Honestly, Susumu. You work at a convenience store. Why must you spend more time in front of the mirror than I do?" She grumbled, hurrying out of the room without waiting for an answer.

"Don't be so mean, Nee-san!" Susumu half grumbled, whining at his own reflection in the mirror. "Some of us care about how we look!"

Tsukushi scoffed, slipping into a pair of low heels by the front door. "We'll see how vain you are when you have family to support, Susumu."

Her brother appeared as she put a hand to the door knob, reaching for her purse as she prepared to leave. Ignoring her comment, Susumu watched her curiously. "Nee-san, aren't you going to eat something before you go?"

"My interview is in forty minutes. I'm too nervous to eat..." Tsukushi mumbled, too focused on taking a last minute inventory of her appearance to notice how out of character declining food was for her. "This is the first interview I've had in months. You know how important it is."

Susumu had barely opened his mouth to wish his sister good luck before she'd grabbed her purse and rushed out the door. Momentarily disheartened by the lack of sisterly attention, Susumu wandered off towards the kitchen, dreaming about an omelette and hot bowl of rice.

______________________________________________________________________

As Tsukushi stood in a crowded train compartment, squished like a sardine amongst the suit-clad salarymen and business women, she couldn't help but feel more nervous about her interview. She hadn't had an interview in months, at least none with promise - not until last night, that is. At call during dinner the night before had summoned her for an immediate interview, as an opening for an international lawyer urgently needed filling. Tsukushi could barely believe her good fortune. She desperately needed a job at the moment.

The most disturbing part of the whole thing was who had summoned her, though; her prospective future employer was none other than the Hanazawa Corporation. Tsukushi had applied there in a group interview months ago, laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole situation at the time. Now, though, her future lay in the well manicured fingers of one of the F4, and she felt the past overwhelming her with sickening familiarity. On the positive side, Tsukushi doubted she would ever see Hanazawa Rui at all, even if he was the company's CEO, and to be honest, she couldn't think of a reason why she'd want to see him, either. It wasn't as if the two had fond memories or past school experiences to bond over, after all.

Lost in her thoughts, Tsukushi disembarked her train and wandered into the Hanazawa Corporation headquarters with dimensioning enthusiasm. She was escorted to a hallway outside of the interview room and found herself waiting with two other women, both strikingly attractive and close to her own age. Tsukushi felt out of place next to the finely dressed and coifed ladies, thinking casually that she must look like the ugly duckling of the group. She carefully snuck peeks at the two, both of which made no effort to even acknowledge her presence, and found herself a little surprised. The women looked like models for luxury clothing brands or beauty salons, not at all like the international lawyers Tsukushi had come to know. Deeply intrigued, Tsukushi continued to study the two specimens quietly, only to be interrupted midway by a short balding man, who opened the door and wandered into the hall, consulting the clipboard in his hand.

"Makino-san?" He asked in a wheezy, low voice, wiping his shiny forehead with a handkerchief. His eyes rested on the two pretty women, glazing over Tsukushi entirely, searching amongst the two of them.

Resisting a rude comment, Tsukushi forced a wide smile, and stood up enthusiastically. She felt a laugh rise in her as his face visibly fell, disappointed by who he had called. Nonetheless, Tsukushi never apologized for her name, and she followed him into the interview room.

The room was a large conference arena, divided into two separate areas for the interviewers and a lonely seat for her, positioned directly in front of the firing squad. Tsukushi nervously introduced herself, greeted the panel, and managed to take a seat, isolated from what seemed to be all mankind in her little plastic chair.

"Makino-san," Began one of the interviewers, an elderly man with bushy eyebrows that reminded Tsukushi of dancing caterpillars. "Thank you for coming on short notice. We saw your resume and felt we needed to speak with you immediately."

Tsukushi felt a flush of happiness reach her face and she bowed her head in modesty, embarrassed by his bluntness. She knew those four years of university would now pay off, she just knew it.

"I'm sure you already realize that the job will be difficult. The Hanazawa Corporation expects the most of out our employees," The elderly man continued, addressing her in a deep monotone. "As a personal assistant to Hanazawa Rui-san himself, you would be under constant scrutiny and pressure. However, we-"

"Personal assistant?" Tsukushi blurted out, taken aback by her own rudeness. Shock silenced her for a moment and after blinking stupidly for a few awkward seconds, she cleared her throat and began again. "Excuse me, sir, but did you say personal assistant?"

"Do you have a problem with that, Makino-san?" The interviewer frowned at her, his colleagues mumbling in disapproval around him.

"Pardon me, sir, but I had come to apply for the international law position..." Tsukushi met their blank stares and bumbled on. "I'm, I'm an international lawyer... Not a personal assistant..."

"Granted, Miss Makino, you do not have the makings of a personal assistant suitable to Mr. Hanazawa-san," The interviewer looked over her silhouette pointedly and she suddenly understood the fine ladies in the hallway. "However, we have been instructed by the chairman to find a functional and trustworthy assistant for his son as he prepares to fully take control of the corporation."

"What does this have to do with me?" Tsukushi asked dumbly, annoyed by being referred to as functional. It made her sound like a paperclip or something.

"You attended Eitoku High School, did you not?" The interviewer confirmed as he double checked her resume, his patience obviously wearing thin with the young woman. "Perhaps you knew the young Hanazawa-san during your school days?"

"I, I've spoken to him before," Tsukushi stammered, not quite believing where the situation was headed. "If you could even call it that-"

The interviewers exchanged looks and the man turned to Tsukushi once more, his tone serious. "Makino-san, in normal situations we would immediately disqualify a candidate like yourself for having any contact with the chairman's son. However, in light of the current situation, we feel that perhaps an old school mate is exactly what Hanazawa-san needs in this time of transition."

"Just a moment, please." Tsukushi raised her hands, halting the conversation. "I came here to apply for the position of the company's international lawyer. I think perhaps my papers were mistaken for someone else, because I haven't even applied for this position."

"Makino-san, we have already filled that position. If you are interested in working for this company, this is your last option. This is the only position we have to offer you." The man frowned and crossed his fingers in annoyance. "We are already granting you a concession by offering this position directly to you, which I assure you, does not happen very often. "

One of the other interviewers stood and walked over to Tsukushi, silently handing her a piece of paper. Tsukushi looked down and saw that it simply listed one thing: a very large amount in yen, and she looked up confusedly.

"If you take this position, Makino-san, this is the salary you can expect, provided you earn it." The man watched her carefully as her eyebrows raised in surprise, eyes wide at the true meaning of the amount. "You are the most suitable candidate for this job, at this time. If Hanazawa-san approves of your work, you may be granted a permanent position here after six months of a probationary period. If you are not interested , Makino-san, we thank you for your time and will continue with our interviews."

Tsukushi stared down at the paper she held, unable to tear her eyes off of the amount. Her rational side pulled towards acceptance, for she knew full well the amount of money would tide her over just nicely for the next few months. But, to work as Hanazawa Rui's personal assistant? It was as if those four years of grueling work at Eitoku University didn't matter at all. It was almost degrading to accept a position sub servant to one of the F4, but, as her mind flashed back to the empty cabinets in her kitchen, her tuition and utility bills, Tsukushi couldn't help but thinking another chance like this might not come again.

Tsukushi squared her shoulder s and raised her eyes to meet the panel, "I accept."


	3. New Beginnings

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Hana Yori Dango, which belongs entirely to Yoko Kamio-san. This story is purely a figment of my imagination.

**Chapter 3: New Beginnings**

Three days.

Three days of intense training and Makino Tsukushi felt exhausted. Three long, ten hour days of preparation and grooming in order to become a suitable personal assistant to Hanazawa Rui. As she arrived at the Hanazawa Corporation on the fourth day, handing in her resignation seemed like a blissful dream. Nonetheless, Tsukushi squished herself into a crowded elevator and ascended to the thirtieth and topmost floor, home to the office of Hanazawa Rui himself and other top company executives. A crowd of young women greeted her as she stepped off the elevator but their pretty faces showed no signs of kindness. Tsukushi bowed her head awkwardly as they openly stared at her, hurrying off quickly in search of her office.

After wandering around for a few minutes, she found herself in a more isolated part of the floor and saw a nameplate atop a small desk with a very familiar moniker. 'Makino Tsukushi' was written in a simple kanji script and she looked around, surprised to find her desk isolated from everyone else. A large office stood in front of her, all glass walls and steel, and beyond, Tokyo, tiny in the hazy distance. A head of brown hair caught her attention and just as Hanazawa Rui's face came into view, two burly security guards barreled past her. The door to his office flung open and a tall woman flew out, heading straight towards Tsukushi.

Her face was streaked with black mascara tears and as the security guards intercepted her, her arm lashed out and ten bony fingers stretched out for Tsukushi. "You whore!" She yelled, her beautiful face disfigured by her anger, and Tsukushi stumbled backwards out of her reach.

The guards hauled the woman out of sight and Tsukushi stood in silent shock, looking around warily, feeling as if she'd stepped into the wrong place. A voice from behind startled her and she turned to see a stately woman standing beside her, nonchalantly sipping from a tall cup of coffee. She looked several years senior to Tsukushi and when she spoke Tsukushi felt oddly comforted by her deep, husky tone.

"Crazy fool." The stranger nodded in the direction of the other woman and shook her head. "That psycho was caught outside of Hanazawa-san's apartment two days ago, sneaking around in the bushes. Slipped her way past security this morning so she could tell him about her plans to marry him." The woman jerked her thumb in the direction of Hanazawa Rui and rolled her eyes.

"Excuse me?" Tsukushi looked to her in bewilderment.

"Nakamaru Michiko," The woman introduced herself and set her coffee down on the desk bearing Tsukushi's name. "You must be Makino-san."

"How-" Tsukushi started to question her but Michiko simply reached for her hand and pulled her towards Rui's office.

"I'm Hanazawa-san's personal accountant," Michiko explained, waving her hand vaguely. "My office is right over there. You're that psycho's replacement, right? The new personal assistant?"

Tsukushi barely had time to respond before Michiko threw Rui's door open and shoved her inside. "Got another one for you, Hanazawa-san. Hopefully this one's not a stalker," Michiko winked at Tsukushi, who looked horrified at the thought, and crossed her arms, grinning widely.

Tsukushi glanced to Hanazawa Rui awkwardly, looking over his blank expression. He appeared the same as she had last seen him, barely aged a day over the years. His hair was darker now and he seemed to have lost a little weight in his face, likely from stress, Tsukushi mused. Realizing that she was staring, Tsukushi hurried to bow deeply and introduced herself.

"My name is Makino Tsukushi. It's an honor to work for you," She said quickly, looking to Rui as she released herself from her bow. Rui said nothing but simply nodded his head in acknowledgement and Tsukushi felt her mouth move on its own. "Um, I don't know if you remember but we've actually met before - at Eitoku..." She trailed off, suddenly embarrassed she'd mentioned it.

Rui still showed no signs of being interested. "Eitoku?" He repeated and shuffled some papers around on his desk idly.

Tsukushi nodded shyly and looked to the ground. "Yes, we-"

"I don't remember you. Would you mind getting me a cup of coffee?" Rui interrupted her, obviously not the least bit interested in learning how they knew each other.

Tsukushi bowed her head once again hesitantly and at Michiko's prodding, left his office. Michiko touched her arm gently and led her towards a small kitchen, introducing her to a large coffee machine. "Hanazawa-san specifically drinks only this brand of coffee," She held up a bag wrapped in gold foil, "No one else is to touch it, not even you. A single bag costs 40000 yen alone."

Tsukushi's jaw dropped at the price and she watched Michiko pour a tall glass. That single bag of coffee cost nearly half of her monthly rent, she realized, and leaned back against the cabinets, dejected. Maybe she wasn't cut out for this job, after all.

"He's not as bad as he seems," Michiko misread her silence and handed Tsukushi the cup of coffee. "I've worked here for several years and I've never seen him quite like this. He's become stressed out from the transition of power. Having an assistant who went around telling the entire company that she wanted to have his baby didn't help, either. Besides..."

Tsukushi prompted her to continue and Michiko pursed her lips together, her expression unreadable. "You might as well hear it from me, I suppose... There's been talk of conspiracy to bankrupt the company. Some are even speculating that it's an inside job. A month ago, some important documents landed in the hands of our competitors and quite a few of our clients left us. After that, when word got out that Hanazawa Rui was taking over his father's position, there were several offers to buy out the company from underneath him."

"Someone's trying to sabotage the company?" Tsukushi asked, honestly surprised. None of this had been reported in the newspapers.

"No one outside of the company knows about it," Michiko explained. "Hanazawa-san has paid enough people handsomely to make sure of that. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before someone spills, though. You should go," She interrupted herself, motioning to Rui's office. "In case you haven't noticed, he's rather particular about certain things - coffee especially."

Tsukushi bid Michiko goodbye and headed back to Rui's office with little enthusiasm. She knocked on his door and when she entered, she saw that he was on the telephone. Bowing her head respectfully, she left the cup on his desk before him and quickly left, lest he think she was eavesdropping. Outside, she explored her desk and found that it was stocked with every office supply imaginable, as if her predecessor had robbed an entire office supply store. Her computer was already turned on for her and she clicked off of its screensaver. A large logo covered the screen, a very tasteful H and C entwined in a circle in a manner similar to old Japanese family crests, and she browsed a few icons idly.

A loud beeping noise startled her and she glanced around, wondering what she had done. The sound was coming from a small box next to her computer and she looked at it, curiously pressing the large button on its surface. The beeping stopped, only to be replaced by a familiar voice.

"Makino Tsukushi," Hanazawa Rui's voice shocked her and she glanced up to his office. He was standing at one of the large windows , watching her and speaking from his own intercom. Tsukushi felt as if she was on display, exposed for him to study from behind the safety of the glass.

"Whenever I need to speak with you, this is how I will inform you. I'm sure we'll get along better than I did with my previous assistant." He held up his cup of coffee in thanks and walked to his desk, pressing his own button and ending the conversation. Tsukushi stared at him in disbelief, suppressing a chuckle. He may have been the CEO of a huge corporation but he was still as much of a spoiled, indifferent brat as she remembered from so many years ago.

Was it still too late to resign, she pondered, looking back to her computer boredly. It looked like it was going to be a long day.

* * *

Tsukushi soon learned three very important things about Hanazawa Rui. First, he drank coffee obsessively; he summoned her constantly every few hours, as he seemed incapable of retrieving it on his own. Second, he didn't speak very much at all. He bid her good morning, said his goodbyes, but never much else in between. Third, he had the ability to make her feel very uncomfortable. Her office space still made her feel exposed to him and his world and when she worked late into the night, she felt terribly isolated from everyone.

Almost an entire week had passed and Tsukushi felt as much adoration for Hanazawa Rui as she did a dirty sock. She desperately wanted to smack him a good one across his rude little face and at the same time, she found herself drawn to his cold nature. She somewhat understood the infatuation of his previous assistant, for she too almost wanted to be the woman to draw him out of his frozen world, but then the intercom would buzz and he'd demand yet another cup of coffee. That expensive coffee turned off Tsukushi's forgiving nature faster than anything else, and she'd be jolted back to the real world in which she was his glorified servant and he her lord and master. If this wasn't her bleak reality, she might have poked fun at the pathetic girl who would have been unlucky enough to be in her place.

Hanazawa Rui himself once again ruined her quiet contemplation as she sat at her desk, organizing his daily schedule into neat parcels, two hours after the last person on the floor had gone home. "Makino?" He poked his head out of his office, a rare display of human interaction on his part. "Will you join me for a minute?"

Tsukushi joined him in his office, nearly stepping on a large stack of papers. Similar stacks covered nearly the entire floor and she could barely see the carpeting beneath all of the documents. A heavy feeling settled into her stomach and she looked to him, waiting for him to explain in his characteristically minimalist manner.

"Do you think you could file all of this?" Rui asked, though obviously it wasn't a mere request that Tsukushi had the option to refuse. She closed her eyes, willing the piles to magically disappear. Why, oh, why couldn't he have just been thirsty?

Rui didn't seem to notice her hesitance to begin and he continued to putter around his office, arranging items on his shelves and then moving them a few moments later as he walked around the large space. Tsukushi watched him sullenly, noting the strange sense of obsessive compulsive tendencies present in his actions. His mind must be failing him in his old age, she decided sarcastically, and sunk to the floor. Perhaps if she hurried, she might get it all done within the hour, she thought hopefully.

She began to assemble them into similar stacks of like documents, her eyes reading the words without fully comprehending them. She worked in silence as Rui amused himself with his unique habits and only paused when she felt his eyes on her. She looked up cautiously, wondering if he was debating moving her about like the books on his shelves next.

Rui frowned at the piles of paper and seemed to change his mind all of a sudden. "Why don't you just finish that stack and then go home. It's late, isn't it?" He stared at the clock as if noticing the time for the first time that day and abruptly reached for his briefcase. Slipping into his thick wool coat, he headed for the door and looked to Tsukushi as an afterthought. "I forgot I was supposed to meet someone. Good night. I'll see you in the morning."

Tsukushi stared at him in disbelief as he headed out the door without a second thought, headed off into the unknown. Was he for real, she wondered, shaking her head. How did he manage to run a company and remember all the little things in between? He could barely seem to take care of himself, Tsukushi chuckled. No wonder most men got married, if they were even one percent like Rui and equally as childlike. Tsukushi headed for the women's restroom and splashed water on her face, trying to motivate herself to wake up and finish the rest of the work. Still, she found it a little difficult to work when no one else was around, and she hurried back through the offices, goose bumps rising on her arms. Normally she wasn't bothered at all by the dark but there was something about the dim, dead silent offices that troubled her in the late hours of the night.

She turned the corner to Rui's office and immediately slowed to a stop, looking curiously to his office door. The door had been closed while she was gone and she was completely positive she'd left it open. Her first thought was that Rui had returned but a low voice muttered something inaudible from behind the door, startling her. It was most certainly not the voice of Hanazawa Rui and Tsukushi immediately ran for cover, cowering next to her desk. She crawled into the hidden space normally reserved for her legs and peeked out below it, craning her neck for a decent look. Whoever it was knocked into something and the sound of shuffling papers disturbed her, because she knew the intruder has likely just created even more filing work for her. Annoyed, Tsukushi crawled out from the safety of her desk and had almost risen to her feet when suddenly, she remembered the words of Nakamaru Michiko.

What if the intruder was the person who was releasing the company's secrets? Tsukushi looked to Rui's office, her attitude much more serious as she contemplated the thought. Hanazawa Rui's office was the perfect place for a thief to come to - it housed every company secret and important document available that someone with sticky fingers might want to get a hold of. Her heart began to race as she realized she was all that stood between the Hanazawa Corporations' impending bankruptcy and the guilty conspirator. If she could catch whoever was doing such awful things, the company would be spared further embarrassment. She may not appreciate Rui's antics but deep down, she felt and knew she owed him the simple loyalty of being his personal assistant and trusted employee.

Tsukushi balled up her small hands into tight fists and made up her mind: she had a company to save.


	4. Office Wars

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Hana Yori Dango, which belongs entirely to Yoko Kamio-san. This story is purely a figment of my imagination.

**Chapter 4: Office Wars**

Makino Tsukushi searched frantically around her desk for anything she could use as a weapon, anything blunt enough to render the intruder unconscious if need be. Tsukushi's fingers hurried to find something adequate in the depths of her desk drawers but they only returned with ballpoint pens and a stapler. Perfect. If the thief was really tiny, perhaps she could staple him into submission and run away.

Tsukushi desperately wished she could alert the security guards but she was certain that whoever it was would be able to hear her voice speaking on the phone. Reaching for her purse, she unzipped it quietly and peered inside: nothing but her day planner, some gum, and a couple of cans of tuna left over from her lunch. Suddenly inspired, Tsukushi weighed her purse in her hand, grinning stupidly at the cans of tuna.

She had found the perfect weapon.

Throwing in the stapler for good measure, Tsukushi zipped her purse back up and began to sneak towards the office door. Something moved inside, followed by a large crash, and Tsukushi nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound. She reached for the doorknob, determined to serve some much needed justice to the thief.

"Ky-aaaah!" She yelled out and threw her weight into the door as she pushed it open, only with to collide with something equally large and powerful.

The thief let out a loud, gruff cry as the door collided with him and Tsukushi began swinging her makeshift weapon purse blindly as she struggled to get in the doorway.

"Get out!" Her purse collided with the thief and he began to curse, fighting back instead of retreating, as she'd naively hoped. "Don't-touch-me-bastard-oof-get-away!"

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" The man bellowed and Tsukushi swung her purse with all of her might. Her bag collided with his head and the man reached out, pulling the offending handbag out of her grasp.

Tsukushi panicked and turned to flee, reaching out for any object she could find and throwing it over her shoulder as she ran. The intruder was on her heels and she could feel his hands brush her elbow, reaching out to grab her. She ran through the office as fast as she could, heading for the only secure place she knew of: the storage room. Her hand had barely grasped the doorknob when five strong fingers wrapped around her arm and yanked her back roughly.

Tsukushi screamed and fought back, kicking and lashing out as her attacker tried to tighten his grip and pick her up. Biting down on one of the hands holding her, Tsukushi found herself falling to the ground, and her vision went black...

* * *

"Oye. Get up." A foot nudged Tsukushi in the side and then again, harder the second time. "Get up!"

Opening her eyes slowly, Tsukushi's gaze landed on the foot and traveled up its leg. She blinked, her eyes still adjusting to the light, and she found herself looking at face framed by unruly black curls, his pale cheek smeared with blood.

Frightened, Tsukushi tried to wiggle away from her position on the floor when that same foot came down on her stomach, pushing all of the air out of her. "Get off, you bastard," She spat, clawing at the foot.

The man made no move to ease the pressure on her stomach and simply glared down at her, obviously quite angry. "Who the hell are you?" He demanded.

"Who the hell are _you_?" Tsukushi wheezed angrily in return, finally managing to shove his foot away and nearly toppling him over in the process. Scrambling to her feet, she raised her fists defensively, poised to fight. "And why are you holding my purse?"

The man scowled and pulled a can of tuna from the purse. "You idiot- this is what you tried to kill me with? Me? Did you really think you could kill someone as magnificent as I am with a damn can of tuna?" He growled, throwing it at her. Tsukushi ducked as he pulled the other items out of her purse and began to fling them angrily at her. "Idiot!"

Tsukushi caught the second can of tuna neatly and raised her arm, aiming to throw it right back at his smug face. "That's right!" She taunted, laughing wickedly as the can hit him directly in the chest. "You despicable, disgusting, moronic idiot!" She yelled back, searching for other things to throw. "Don't you know it's bad to steal?"

The thief was either tired of being abused or simply just pissed off, and he suddenly ran to her at a sprint. Crying out, Tsukushi tried to flee but he caught her before she could take a second step.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" The man yelled down at her, shaking her by the shoulders painfully. Too shocked to speak, Tsukushi stared wide-eyed at his face, which was smudged with blood. She must have banged the door into his face, she realized, and her attention focused on his swollen nose. Had she broken it?

Sadistically curious, Tsukushi reached out with her finger swiftly. Her fingertip connected with the end of his nose as if she were pushing a button in an elevator and he howled once again in pain. She watched, strangely fascinated, as he took a few steps back, clutching his face.

"You-you-bitch," The man muttered, glaring at her over his hands. "Don't you know who I am?" He yelled, his eyes narrowing in anger. "I'm going to kill you! Nobody does this shit to Domyouji Tsukasa and gets away with it!"

"D-Domyouji who?" Tsukushi blurted out, her eyes wide. Unable to believe it, she simply watched him, suddenly feeling as if the world had fallen out from beneath her feet. As she plummeted to the ground, all she wanted to do was laugh at the absurdity of it all...

**A Note From Me:** _Thank you to my reviewers! I really appreciate your feedback and encouraging words. I will try my best not to let you down in the chapters to come. :) As for everyone who read the story and added it to your alert lists, I also thank you. Feel free to review whenever you have time, okay? I apologize for the lag in updates but due to the Thanksgiving holidays, I was a little busy. I'll try to update weekly with at least one chapter from now on. I hope enjoyed these two chapters! - Jackie  
_


	5. Mutual Dislike

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Hana Yori Dango, which belongs entirely to Yoko Kamio-san. This story is purely a figment of my imagination.

**Chapter 5: Mutual Dislike**

What was she going to do?

Makino Tsukushi paced in front of the toilet stalls in the women's restroom, wringing her hands nervously. After revealing his true nature as Domyouji Tsukasa, Tsukushi had run away from him as fast as she could. He may think himself high and mighty but he hadn't been able to keep up with her when she had sprinted down the emergency stairs, making it down twelve flights of them before she'd finally lost him. She'd taken the elevator down the remaining eighteen and he'd followed suit, only to stumble out of the building, wheezing with exhaustion just in time to see her zoom away in a taxi. The 2500 yen had been worth well worth it just to get away from the psycho, Tsukushi recalled smugly; it wasn't her fault that he had the physical stamina of a little girl.

The next day, Tsukushi had woken up confident she hadn't done anything wrong. She dressed herself, ate breakfast, and rode the train calmly into work just like any other day. So what if Domyouji Tsukasa and Hanazawa Rui were best friends? She had done nothing but defend herself. However, after she'd reached the thirtieth floor of the Hanazawa Corporation, Tsukushi couldn't help but feel nauseous at the thought of even seeing the idiotic Domyouji again, much less Rui. He would probably fire her on the spot and she'd be back to square one: broke and unemployed. She had grown quite accustomed to eating three square meals a day in the short time she'd been working for him and her stomach wasn't quite ready to part with that luxury.

She had found herself in the women's toilets five minutes later, hiding from her duties and Hanazawa Rui himself. Pausing to look at her reflection in the mirror, Tsukushi scowled at what she saw. A large, egg-sized bump had appeared on her forehead, presumably acquired when she had knocked herself unconscious. A bruise had formed on her left cheekbone, which she had no idea where it'd come from, and when her facial muscles formed into any expression, she felt a constant pain from deep within her cheekbones.

Finally, Tsukushi gathered up her common sense and left the bathroom, lowering her head from prying eyes as she headed to her desk. The last thing she needed was people spreading rumors about her being a domestic abuse victim. Raising her head only as she neared her desk, she stopped dead in her tracks, surprised to find a strange woman sitting in her chair.

"Hanazawa-san would like to see you immediately," The woman told her and gestured to his office door.

Nodding mutely, Tsukushi's heart sank. She knew it was coming: it was only a matter of time before he'd fire her officially, she thought as she entered his office. Hanazawa Rui sat in his desk chair, slowly stirring a spoon in a cup of coffee. He looked perfectly serene and didn't raise his eyes to greet her. A loud huff of annoyance drew her attention to a corner of the room and she turned to see Domyouji Tsukasa glaring at her with vehement hatred. Narrowing her eyes at him, she studied the aftermath of their encounter on his face. A large band-aid covered his cheek and a bruise had spread nastily over the side of his nose, which was still visibly swollen. At least if she was getting fired, Tsukushi thought sarcastically, she'd gone down with a fight. She flashed him a sarcastic grin, ignoring the pain in her cheeks, widening her eyes innocently as if daring him to say something.

Rui interrupted the silent tension before either could speak, setting down his spoon as he looked up to her. "I heard you two met last night."

Tsukushi blinked, waiting for him to say anything else and looked over at Domyouji haughtily. "That's right. One of us doesn't look so good, though. I wonder how that happened; did you happen to fall down the stairs, Domyouji-san?" She taunted him lightly, indifferent about her words now that she had lost her job.

"This is all your fault!" Domyouji stood angrily, pointing at her. "You idiotic woman! You attacked me for no reason! Are you insane or something?"

"You chicken face! You attacked me for no reason!" Tsukushi growled back at him, balling her fists at her waist.

"You hit me with a can of tuna!" Tsukasa bellowed, towering over her in what he must have thought to be a frightening stance. He wanted nothing more but to shake her until all of the rudeness fell out of her - he could do it, too; she was tiny compared to him. His hands trembled and he reached out for her.

Tsukushi simply stood up on her tip toes, shoving her face into his. "I'll do it again, too, if you don't shut up! You spoiled brat, how old are you? Huh, how old are you? I've seen insects more mature than you are, you know that?" She smacked his hands away from her, scowling at him.

"Did you know Makino went to Eitoku, Tsukasa?" Rui interrupted casually, taking a sip of his coffee. "What an interesting reunion this is." His coffee was colder than he usually liked and his spirits fell a little as he tasted it.

"Rui, I came here to kill her." Tsukasa growled, "Not get all sentimental! Besides, I've never seen this woman before in my life - I bet this pauper forged her diploma!"

Tsukushi frowned at his tone and glared up at him. He stood head and shoulders above her but that only made her angrier at him. She stomped closer to him, her foot dangerously close to his own. "Listen, you pompous ass, I did no such thing-"

"Why did you attack Tsukasa, anyway?" Rui asked curiously, lazily watching the exchange between the two. He made no move to stop their confrontation. Perhaps he knew it would be futile to get between the two - or maybe he was just lazy.

"I didn't attack him!" Tsukushi said exasperatedly, annoyed at herself for even bothering to explain. "I thought he was a thief. This idiot was sneaking around in here after dark and I thought-"

"What were you still doing here so late?" Rui studied her blankly, "I thought you were almost done for the day when I left."

Tsukushi stared at him, feeling her annoyance build. "Honestly, Hanazawa Rui, you leave me with mountains of filing and expect me to finish just like that?" She snapped her fingers, totally having lost all cares about keeping her job. "Are you kidding me? Unlike you, some of us actually have to work for a living!"

Rui looked to her utterly confused, as if he had no idea what she was talking about. His once docile and obedient personal assistant was no more, it seemed, and he didn't quite know how to react.

Domyouji started to laugh, pointing at her rudely. "Baka! What a useless employee! You idiot, you can't do anything, can you? I'd fire her, Rui, if I were you - she's too stupid to do anything right."

Tsukushi felt her blood rise as he continued to laugh stupidly. "And what were you doing here, you curly haired freak? This isn't your office! Don't you have better things to do than to sneak around here?"

"Tsukasa sometimes comes here when he has nothing better to do," Rui explained, cutting off what he expected would have been a large outburst from Tsukasa. Tsukasa had always been a little touchy about his curls. Rui stifled a yawn, suddenly bored with the conversation. "We've never had a problem with it until you showed up, Makino."

"Fire her, Rui!" Domyouji interjected, swaggering in a circle around her with as much smugness as his anger would allow him. "I'll find you a better employee, so you can get rid of this pauper." He smiled rudely, lowering himself to meet her furious gaze.

"You..." Tsukushi glared at him and reached up with her fingers, dangerously nearing his nose. Tsukasa jumped away instinctively in fright, clutching his face with a horrified gasp. Tsukushi smiled widely at her little victory and pushed at his chest instead. "Don't be such a little girl, Domyouji. Are you afraid of me? Huh? Huh?"

Tsukasa reached out and flicked her forehead suddenly, the loud crack of his knuckles against her skull echoing loudly. Tsukushi cried out and touched her forehead in pain as he smiled childishly. "Shut up, shortie. You don't scare me one bit."

Rui suddenly picked up a file from his desk and held it out to Tsukushi, as if he was interrupting nothing but two people discussing the weather. "The storage room needs cleaning. Throw out anything that hasn't been used in six months. Then, run this file over to the JD Group. The security guard at the front desk will give you directions."

Tsukasa and Tsukushi both stared blankly at Rui, unable to speak. Tsukushi slowly held a hand out to receive the file, utterly confused. Wasn't she fired?

"Rui." Tsukasa looked to his friend urgently, furrowing his brows in annoyance. Why wasn't Rui doing what he'd told him to? His anger boiled and he stared at Tsukushi out of the corner of his eye, imagining himself shoving her out the window. She would splat nicely on the sidewalk thirty stories below, he thought, an evil grin spreading across his handsome face.

Tsukushi held the file to her chest and looked to Tsukasa ruefully. "Do be careful on the way out, Domyouji-san," She smiled spitefully at him, batting her eyelashes with a malicious glint in her eyes as she sauntered out of the room. "Those stairs are killer for old men like you, aren't they?"

"That file should be delivered by this evening." Rui called out and gave his last words on the matter as she left, turning his attention back to his coffee. After all, some things were far more important than Tsukasa's temper, weren't they?

* * *

Eight hours later, Tsukushi wished she'd just been fired.

Rui hadn't done her a favor by shipping her off to the storage room for the day. It was packed full of boxes and it had taken her hours to sort them out. Her arms ached from carrying most of them to the trash and her feet were dragging in protest. When she'd gone to find out where the JD Group was, she was informed that it was all the way in Kyoto - a couple hours ride by train. Naturally, it had taken equal time to return and by the time she turned the corner to her apartment building, it was long dark out.

Tsukushi paused to search for her keys and as she rooted through her bag, a slight noise startled her. Pulling her bag close to her body, she squinted into the darkness, bracing herself for the worst. However, nothing came and her eyes focused on a heap lying on the street, thrown over bags of garbage. Amidst the pile of clothing and limbs, she saw the face of her younger brother, Makino Susumu, his eyes shut as he lay still.

"Susumu!" Hurrying over, Tsukushi forgot her pains and hesitantly reached out a hand to touch him, fearing him dead. Her brother stirred and turned his face to her. Blood had dried at the corners of his mouth and one of his eyes had swollen shut, the large bruise outlining it visible even in the dark. "Susumu!" She cried again, reaching over to pull him off of the trash.

Susumu winced as she struggled to maneuver him upright, grasping her shoulders for support. "Nee-chan," he breathed, holding his ribs as if they pained him terribly.

"Susumu, what happened?" Tsukushi struggled under his weight as she tried to move closer to the apartment's stairs, shuffling along with him awkwardly.

"Last month I borrowed some money to help you pay the bills," Susumu breathed slowly, his expression twisted. "The men I borrowed from came by to collect it." Groaning as they neared the stairs, his knees gave out and he nearly took them both to the ground.

Tsukushi's muscles screamed from the strain and as she looked at her brother, she felt tears of exhaustion fill her eyes. "Susumu, you..."

Surprised by his sister's sudden tears, Susumu forced a smile and held onto her tightly. "I'm fine, Nee-chan. Don't worry. I'm fine."

"You idiot," Tsukushi muttered, rubbing her tears away with a balled fist. "Why are you such an idiot, Susumu..."

The duo awkwardly stumbled up the stairs, slowly ascending out of sight. A car's headlights lit up the dim street and the vehicle purred to a start with a quiet grumble. Inside, a gloved hand pushed a few unruly curls out of a pair of dark eyes, both of which had been trained on Tsukushi and her brother from the minute she'd arrived. A pair of lips curled into a small smile, the young man's mind flashing to the image of her angry face, and he felt a chuckle rumble in his throat. So much emotion in such a small body...

"Take me home." The man commanded and the car drove off as inconspicuously as it had arrived, slipping away into the dark streets of Tokyo. His thoughts, though, lay with the girl and her expressive brown eyes, and she remained in his sight long after he'd left her.


	6. Unspoken Desires

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Hana Yori Dango, which belongs entirely to Yoko Kamio-san. This story is purely a figment of my imagination.

**Chapter 6: Unspoken Desires**

Two weeks had passed since Tsukushi had been unfortunate enough to run into Domyouji Tsukasa.

Each day after that fateful meeting, though, Hanazawa Rui had sent her on errand after errand, each more physically draining than the last. Makino Tsukushi was beginning to feel as though she was at his beck and call, as he made sure he sent her on every whimsical order that came into his head. For the last three days he had made her research every hole in the wall sushi restaurant in Tokyo, trying to determine which one he had eaten at one and half years ago, with no explanation as to why. Tsukushi had had to travel to each of them personally, stand in the freezing cold winter weather, and take a picture of each individual establishment, as per his request.

Tsukushi felt like she was going insane; she never again wanted to see sushi for as long as she lived. The only reason she was tolerating her so-called-job was because of the money. With all of her own bills and now the additional loans Susumu had taken out, money was something she simply could not afford to ignore. Sighing deeply, Tsukushi knocked on the door of Hanazawa Rui's office and entered with a stack of snapshots in her hand.

Rather than sitting at his desk, Rui was lounging on the sofa usually reserved for guests. His long legs hung off of the sofa's end, his body too lengthy to be accommodated comfortably by the small chair. Laying on his back, Rui read through a file, a stack of them resting on his stomach, rising and falling with his breath. A can of coffee and a sweet bun sat next to him on the floor, half eaten and abandoned mid-bite. Despite her annoyance with him, Tsukushi smiled at the sight, for he looked as much of a CEO of a multi-billion yen company as she did. Rui looked up as she entered, setting the file down without a second thought as he saw the photographs.

"Is that them?" He asked eagerly, holding out his long fingers to receive them. Tsukushi released the stack and stood over him awkwardly as he flipped through them, glancing around idly. Her eyes fell on a picture of a woman with her arms wrapped around Rui on his bookshelf, the only one in the room besides a childhood snapshot of four little boys, and she studied the woman's face as she spoke.

"Hanazawa Rui, these were all that I could find." Tsukushi hesitated, "You didn't give us much information, so I'm afraid this was the best I could come up with-"

"This one!" Rui sat up suddenly, the papers falling off his stomach in his excitement. He looked to Tsukushi eagerly, "Where is this one?"

Tsukushi glanced to the photograph, surprised. She remembered that sushi shop well: it was the most run down of them all. The sign in front had faded over time until it was nearly illegible, and the interior looked as worn and dated as the establishment's eighty-three-year old proprietor. She could hardly believe he would recognize the place, much less eat there. Tsukushi reached down and flipped over the photograph, the address written neatly on the back in her small script.

"Get your coat," Rui stood abruptly, reaching for his own as he headed for the door. Tsukushi looked to him blankly and he motioned impatiently for her to get moving. "Aren't you coming?"

* * *

Hanazawa Rui preferred to drive himself wherever he went, even though he kept a driver on call every moment of the day. Tsukushi found herself wishing that he did employ his driver, just so that there was a third party in the car with them. They had been driving for nearly forty minutes and after her failed attempts to discuss the weather and the flow of traffic, most of it had been in silence. Rui didn't even listen to music as he drove and remained silent until they pulled up to park in front of the sushi restaurant.

Glad to be free, Tsukushi hurriedly unbuckled herself and fled from the car, not noticing that Rui had walked around in a motion apparently meant to open her car door. He was a natural gentleman at heart and he frowned at her actions, but still said nothing. Instead, he led the way into the restaurant, pushing his way through the fabric sheets covering the door, Tsukushi following closely behind.

The restaurant was empty save for the cook and two customers, both huddled over large mugs of beer at the counter. Rui headed for a table and sat down facing the door, allowing Tsukushi to take the seat across from him. A few minutes later, Rui ordered only one thing, a large platter of chakin (egg and rice) sushi for the two of them to share.

As soon as the platter was set on the table, Tsukushi hurried to serve him, both out of courtesy and duty of her position. Selecting a few plump sushi packages, she arranged them neatly on a smaller serving dish with a few trays of assorted condiments. She placed it in front of him and moved to serve herself.

Rui watched the procedure amusedly and nodded his head in thanks, waiting for her to finish her own plate before he began. "Tomorrow you may return to your desk as normal." She looked to him confused, wondering if the sushi had changed his mind. "I have no more errands for you. Besides, that woman makes horrible coffee."

Smiling to herself, Tsukushi bowed her head slightly and took a bite of the sushi. Her smile widened and she promptly forgot about Rui in the presence of such delicious food.

Rui ate his own food slowly, studying her as she ate her way through several pieces, openly enjoying it and completely oblivious to his silence. "Where do you live?" He asked suddenly and Tsukushi nearly choked at the sound of his voice.

"No where special," She managed, swallowing hard. "Just in a small apartment with my younger brother in Shinjuku. My parents live in the countryside, where they found some fishing work in a little village, so it's just the two of us."

Rui nodded and resumed eating, apparently having satisfied his curiosity. Tsukushi leaned forward nervously, wanting to ask something herself. "Why does Domyouji come to your office?" She finally managed, and Rui looked up in surprise. She realized she hadn't spoken respectfully and rephrased her words. "Domyouji-san, I mean..."

Rui chewed his food slowly for a minute before swallowing. "He's bored, I think."

Tsukushi waited for him to say more but as always, he never did. "Bored?" She prompted, hoping he would pick up on her lead.

"He lives in a big house. His mother moved to New York three years ago and left him alone in their family estate. He doesn't like his work because his mother has spies everywhere to watch over him." Rui said matter-of-factly, looking rather pained at having said so many words at once. "He's bored."

"Spies?" Tsukushi whispered loudly, whipping her head around as if she could see them. She laughed nervously and toyed with a piece of sushi. "You can't be serious... What kind of mother spies on her own son?"

Rui watched her expressionlessly and then returned his attention to his food. Conversation, obviously, held little interest for him.

"How does he get into your office, anyway?" Tsukushi wondered out loud. "Does he have a key?"

Rui looked up to her, considered the question, and then shrugged lazily.

Tsukushi stared back at him in amazement. " Don't you care? If he could get in, don't you could think a thief could?"

Rui pondered the question. "No," He finally decided. "Tsukasa's different. He doesn't sneak in - he just demands to be let in. I think the security guards are afraid of him."

Tsukushi blinked and scoffed to herself. Of course; that sounded exactly like the 'great' Domyouji Tsukasa, being the rude petulant child he was. Still, if he lived in such a big house by himself, perhaps he wasn't so much bored as he was lonely, she considered.

"Why are you so interested in Tsukasa?" Rui stuffed a large piece of sushi in his mouth, his cheeks puffed up as he tried to chew, and Tsukushi suddenly found herself thinking of an overstuffed teddy bear. It made it difficult to take him seriously.

Tsukushi laughed and waved her hand vaguely, shooing away his question. "What? No, I'm not interested at all... Don't be silly..." She looked around the restaurant awkwardly and suddenly remembered her second question. "How do you know about this place, Hanazawa Rui?" She asked, genuinely curious. "It's not expensive, nor somewhere someone like you would normally go, so how?'

Rui watched her quietly for a moment and then set down his chopsticks, folding his slender fingers together in thought. "A friend brought me here for this same sushi. She had given up her family's inheritance and was living with a friend in a small apartment near here before she moved to Paris."

Tsukushi listened silently and she suddenly remembered a picture from Hanazawa Rui's office. She had seen it a few hours before on his bookshelf, as she had waited for him, and she suddenly remembered where she had seen that woman's face. "Todou Shizuka-san?" She asked, recalling the name.

Rui looked to her in surprise. "Do you know Shizuka?"

Tsukushi blushed and looked away, embarrassed. "Oh, no. I just remember her from Eitoku - she was the reason I went to school there. I read about her in the newspapers when she left for Paris."

Rui considered something for a moment, having recalled an inane fact. "You degree is international law, isn't it? Is that because of her?" He made the connection between Tsukushi's degree and Shizuka's dream career.

Tsukushi was shocked that he knew her degree and she nodded. Rui was suddenly much more loquacious when the topic was Todou Shizuka, she noted.

"She'd like that." Rui smiled, lost in his thoughts, as if he were laughing at a private joke. Tsukushi simply watched him, isolated from him.

"When is she returning from Paris?" Tsukushi asked, not realizing she was beginning to overstep her boundaries. There was something about Hanazawa Rui that made her feel she could say or ask anything. "Will she come visit you for the holidays?"

Rui's expression darkened and he lost his casual tone. "Shizuka won't be returning to Japan anytime soon." He stood and withdrew some money from his pocket. Tsukushi scrambled for her purse to pay for her share but he pushed her money away. She followed him clumsily out of the restaurant and onto the street, angry with herself for ruining the conversation. She had soured his mood with her nosiness and Tsukushi struggled to apologize.

Rui responded by hailing a passing taxi and he stood at the open door, obviously waiting for her to get in. Tsukushi climbed in past him and awkwardly sat down, for he made no move to join her. "I'm afraid I can't take you home. Take this taxi and write the expense off to my personal account. What's your address?" He asked, his voice void of the friendly tone it had had earlier.

Tsukushi stammered, "I can't go home right now. I still have work to do - at the office," She muttered, so embarrassed that she could barely meet his eyes.

Rui nodded and gave the driver the company's address, peeking his head in once more to say 'good night' before the taxi began to head down the street. Tsukushi turned to look to him and watched as he began to walk down the street, ambling away slowly in the opposite direction on foot. She felt horrible watching him leave all alone in the cold evening air, knowing that she created a commotion unnecessarily. Her heart ached a little as the taxi rounded a corner and he disappeared from view, for she knew she was the cause of his sudden loneliness and quiet suffering.

* * *

Tsukushi yawned as the elevator dinged open on the thirtieth floor of the Hanazawa Corporation, and she found herself in the dark offices alone. Everyone had left for their homes for the night and she headed slowly for her desk. A light caught her attention and she looked to Hanazawa Rui's office, the only fully lit room on the entire floor. It must not have never been turned off after they had left, and she headed for the door, thinking guilty of her earlier actions. Still, Tsukushi was not one to waste anything, much less electricity and she reached for the doorknob.

Her hand had just grazed the switch when she saw someone lying on the couch in the same position she'd found Rui earlier. Stepping closer, she realized it was Domyouji Tsukasa, his long body just as awkwardly positioned on the chair as Rui's had been. Papers were strewn all around him, his tie loosened in a fit of irritation, and his jacket lay thrown in a heap across the room. Tsukushi shivered in the cold and wondered how he could lay there and not feel the temperature difference. She quietly stepped closer, avoiding the chaos of paperwork, and found him with his eyes closed, quietly napping. He looked exhausted, she noted half-heartedly, her gaze falling on the slight stubble on his cheeks and a small bruise on his cheekbone. Remembering the band-aid he'd worn two weeks before at their last meeting, Tsukushi felt a pang of regret for her actions, Rui's words flooding her mind as she studied his face. She couldn't help but feel a little pity for him, even if he did drive her insane.

Her nurturing instincts took over and she hurried over to a tall cabinet, opening it as noiselessly as she could. A thick wooly blanket lay on one of the shelves and she reached for it. If it could cover Hanazawa Rui (as she'd seen him use it before), it would certainly suffice for Tsukasa. Tsukushi unfolded the blanket and gingerly laid it over his body, slowly spreading across his long form. Her fingers brushed his hand in the process and she jumped back, startled. She searched his face for any signs of recognition but he didn't wake, and Tsukushi hastily finished her work. She hurried for the door and pulled it shut behind her, leaning against it in relief, closing her eyes tightly. Her heart beat faster than usual as her mind flitted between the bruise on his cheek and the sight of Hanazawa Rui walking alone, and she sighed deeply.

If by being kind to Tsukasa she could somehow redeem herself for offending Rui, Tsukushi felt relieved to think she was making progress. She glanced to the door, thinking of the man behind it, and her heart pounded painfully in her chest.

* * *

Domyouji's eye's slowly opened as the door clicked shut and they travelled from the door down to the blanket covering him. He hadn't realized how cold he was until her concern had touched him. He felt his body begin to warm underneath the thick wool, the spot where her fingers had brushed his the warmest, and his fingers curled tightly into a fist. He closed his eyes again and settled in beneath the blanket, too exhausted to do much else. For the first time that day, Tsukasa felt peaceful, and while he knew he should feel annoyed with her, he couldn't stop the warmth from spreading to his chest where it warmed a part of him that he hadn't realized was terribly frozen. A strange calmness overwhelmed him and at the corners of his mouth, the faintest of smiles pulled at his lips as he fell into a deep sleep.

**A Note From Me:** _Sorry about the delay in this update - college finals killed me for the last two weeks... But now I'm done! Yay! I know not much happens in this update but perhaps I'm setting things up for what's to come... You'll just have to wait and see! Expect more updates by next Wednesday. :) Thanks everyone for reviewing and reading. Everyone who left comments about the cat poop coffee made me my day, because I knew exactly what you were talking about. Lol, thank you everyone again. Keeping reading and commenting! Good luck to everyone out there who is battling finals this week... Ganbatte kudasai! -Jackie_


	7. Unlikely Friendship

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Hana Yori Dango, which belongs entirely to Yoko Kamio-san. This story is purely a figment of my imagination.

**Chapter 7: Unlikely Friendship**

Domyouji Tsukasa was a man who knew what he wanted and always had been since he was born. Lately, though, he found his thoughts wandering, away from his world and all that he considered important. His usual schedule of events failed to completely hold his attention and at night he found his feet walking into the Hanazawa Corporation, headed for the thirtieth floor with a newfound determination in his step.

Four weeks had passed since Makino Tsukushi had shown the first step of kindness towards him and her actions had not left his mind. He saw her often on his nightly visits to Rui's office and found himself leaving behind small tokens for her – warm cups of coffee, small rice cakes, a pretty handkerchief he'd bought on a whim… Never, though, had he left any indication of his doings. His own actions puzzled him and instead of dwelling on them, he usually dropped his gift and pretended as if the whole situation had never happened.

Just like all of the times before, Domyouji stepped off the elevator onto the thirtieth floor, his hand clutching a large bag of food. He glanced anxiously towards the direction of Hanazawa Rui's office, knowing he could count on Tsukushi being there. It seemed that she worked late every night. He walked forward, swinging the food idly at his side, hoping Tsukushi would allow him to share his dinner with her.

Tsukasa found Tsukushi sitting at her desk, slumped over a large pile of paperwork. Her head lay atop her arms and as he neared, he realized she was asleep, resting on top of a mountain of filing. His curiosity drew him near and he hesitantly looked down to her, taking in the gentle sight of her sleeping body. His eyes traced the long half moons of her ebony eyelashes, following the contours of her cheekbones to her lips, the pale pink of her mouth resting on her hand. Long, pale fingers wrapped themselves tightly into a fist and as he watched her slumber, he felt a sudden burst of anger deep in his stomach, feeling more annoyed with Hanazawa Rui than he ever had. Couldn't he find someone else besides Tsukushi to work so late at night?

Glancing around the empty, black offices, Tsukasa immediately thought of how unsafe it was for her alone there, isolated thirty floors above Tokyo. Hesitantly, he shrugged off his outer jacket and removed the soft wool coat of his suit. He draped the warm coat around her shoulders, wrapping her body beneath the dark navy silk of the coat's inner lining. His fingers grazed the long strands of black hair that cascaded down her back and he casually let his fingers run across the smooth locks, his fingertips weaving in and out of the dark cloud.

With some difficulty, he removed his hand, letting it fall to his side unenthusiastically as his curiosity still implored him to continue to his exploration. However, common sense told him to respect her boundaries and his mind returned to reality, his eyes falling on the large bag of food that held his true purpose for visiting her that evening.

Suddenly inspired, he headed for Rui's office, pulling a key from his pocket and admitting himself. A few moments later he returned with a blanket belonging to Rui, and he busied himself with laying it out on the floor. He grinned widely as he pulled out the food and set it out on the blanket, creating a small indoor picnic meant for two. The spread he'd brought was quite impressive: beautiful wooden lacquered boxes full of rice and eel, marinated in soy sauce and miso. Smaller boxes held assorted vegetable side dishes and in one, an array of elegant white and green powdered red bean pastries.

Movement caught his attention and he turned to find Tsukushi sitting upright, rubbing her eyes childishly with a balled fist, her attention drawn to the presence of his jacket around her body. She glanced over to Tsukasa and he held in a smile as her lips parted in silent confusion, her eyes traveling over all of the food to his face.

"Domyouji," Her voice was still heavy with sleep, her eyes lidded. "What is all of this? What are you doing… on the floor?"

"I was hungry," Tsukasa held up one of the lunch boxes, flashing the sight of the eel towards her. "What about you?"

Tsukushi blinked and rose unsteadily to her feet, her mind still tired. Tsukasa conversing with her, acting cordial and oddly friendly was not a strange sight anymore – she had grown quite accustomed to his company and unique behavior. For some reason beyond her, he'd started to become more human-like and treat her kindly in the last few weeks. However, he had never done anything quite like this and she stepped away from her desk, taking a better look at the situation. His coat was still around her shoulders and her hands clasped absently to the soft merino wool, as if she had yet to fully notice what was keeping her warm.

Tsukasa watched as she stepped over to him, sinking onto her knees and joining him on the floor. His eyes took in the quiet of her still sleepy body and he said nothing, content with observing her. Tsukushi's oddly calm behavior could only be attributed to exhaustion, and as he saw her eyes travel over the food, perhaps starvation. Silently, he handed her a pair of wooden chopsticks and settled in to eat his own share, glad she had not protested to his companionship.

Stifling a yawn, Tsukushi prodded her chopsticks around the rice and eel, sluggishly bringing the food to her mouth. Instinct told her she should be more careful about allowing Tsukasa to be so close and comfortable but something held her back from voicing her concerns. She watched him cautiously, her hand idly reaching up to pull the coat up as it slipped from her shoulders, and at its touch, she found herself startled to find the strange garment.

Tsukushi glanced to Tsukasa, noting his clothing, and she looked back to the coat. "Yours?" She asked, wondering how it had come to her.

Tsukasa nodded, not quite meeting her gaze. "You seemed cold when I arrived… Keep it for now. It's cold in here," His eyes met hers momentarily and he saw her visibly shiver, as if to back up his statement.

Little did he know, though, that Tsukushi was not shivering from the cold but rather the combination of his intense gaze and the oily coldness of the silk against her bare arms. She bowed her head slightly, glancing down modestly. "Thank you," She said quietly, busying herself with her chopsticks once again.

Tsukasa watched her carefully as she ate, his brows furrowing in concern. "Are you ill?" He asked, "Or is the food not to your liking?"

Tsukushi realized that she was hardly eating at all, picking off bits and pieces here and there, and she bowed her head in apology. "Oh, no, the food is delicious. Honestly, it's wonderful," She met his eyes, her own searching for an explanation. "I'm just a little tired, I suppose. It's been quite a long day."

Tsukasa suddenly looked angry and she hurried to stuff a piece of eel into her mouth. "Delicious, really – thank you…" His temper worried her all of a sudden, the blatant concern on his features unsettling her composure.

Tsukasa continued to frown and once again he found himself growing angry with Rui for a reason he couldn't quite pin point. "You should eat. If you work hard and don't eat, you'll get sick. It's not healthy for you to work so much."

"Y-yes," Tsukushi agreed and hurried another bite, wishing his eyes would just leave her alone for a second. She suddenly felt nervous, scrutinized underneath his heavy stare. Eventually, though, she felt she had to break the awkwardness and she did her best to sound casual. "But you know, Domyouji, you're an expert on working too much. You never seem to rest. Instead of being here with me, you should be at home, relaxing, or perhaps spending time with some lady much prettier than I."

Tsukasa looked to her sharply as she tried to joke, clearing his throat loudly. "I don't rest. My home is not relaxing, so I come to where I feel the most relaxed." He stared at Tsukushi, causing her to fidget underneath his gaze. "There is no 'lady' waiting for me out there."

Tsukushi chuckled nervously, trying to cover her discomfort. "Ha, I'm sure there isn't," She tried to joke, strangely tongue-tied. "There are scores of women out there who would give anything to date someone like you… You're wealthy, the only son and heir to an empire… You're even tall and I suppose good looking, if I squint a little…" Tsukushi trailed off, unsure of where her mouth was taking her.

Tsukasa watched her seriously, obviously not sharing the joke. "Is that so?" He laughed humorlessly. "Is that what I should be doing, relaxing with a woman who loves me for my height and immense wealth?"

Startled by his frankness, Tsukushi simply stared at him, unsure of how to continue. "No." She finally decided, trying to break the seriousness of his composure. "You should be right here, sitting on the floor, eating the best eel I have ever tasted, with me."

"Really?" Tsukasa smiled, a wide genuine smile that gave Tsukushi a glimpse of what he must have looked like as a young boy. "Is that really what you think?"

"Oh, yes." Tsukushi took a large bite of food, smiling as she savored the taste. "Because I am completely, entirely, and utterly selfish. I wouldn't want you sharing this delicious food with anyone but me."

Tsukasa chuckled, his cheeks dimpling faintly as he watched her happily. This woman, sitting on the floor with him, her petite frame dwarfed by his large coat, held the strange power to tug at a part of his heart and manipulate his laughter and smiles. Makino Tsukushi had an effect on him that no one else had ever managed to before, he realized.

As Tsukushi leaned forward to take one of the red bean pasties, a long curtain of hair fell across her face, and Tsukasa's hand twitched at his side, ready to reach over and brush it out of her eyes. She seemed not to notice, though, and continued to eat, oblivious to the maddening effect it was having on him. He opened his mouth to say something, anything to get her to move her hair before he couldn't control his hand anymore, but instead, the sound of a door slamming in the near distance silenced him in his tracks.

Tsukushi jumped in surprise, confusion and fear darkening her eyes. "It's too late for people to still be here," She said, consulting her watch. "No one else is supposed to be here right now," She looked sidelong to Tsukasa, visibly shaken.

Tsukasa did his best to smile casually, acting as if she was overreacting and nothing was out of the ordinary. "I'm sure someone forgot something and came back for it. I'll go check if they need any help." He stood, surprised to find Tsukushi's hand suddenly grasping his wrist.

"Don't leave me." She said determinedly, hurrying to try to quell the feeling of uneasiness in her gut. If it really was as he said, wouldn't the person have announced themselves? Or at least turned on a light? "I'll go with you. Like you said, I'm sure it's nothing, right?"

Resting his fingers gently on hers, Tsukasa unwillingly pried them from him and chuckled nervously. "Makino, I'll be fine. What do you take me for? I'm just going to see if they're okay, alright?"

Tsukushi moved to protest but he held up a hand to silence her. "I'll be right back." He said firmly, trying to remove some of the worry from her eyes. "Wait here for me. If I'm not back in ten minutes, call security immediately and have them escort you out."

"Domyouji-" Tsukushi moved to him but he ignored her call and disappeared around a corner, out of her sight. Tsukushi wrapped her arms around her body, pulling his coat closer. Little noises suddenly became extremely noticeable and loud, and while she knew it was just the building, she couldn't help but shivering, feeling terribly alone. The darkness beyond her seemed to draw closer and through it she swore she could feel eyes on her, drawing nearer in the silence.

* * *

Tsukasa walked slowly in the direction that the noise had come from, his eyes gradually adjusting to the dark. His mind flitted back to Tsukushi, waiting for him alone, but he pushed that thought of his mind; he had to find the intruder. The sooner he found the perpetrator, the sooner he could return to her. He walked from office to office, opening doors as silently as he could, peeking his head in and returning with no results. The entire floor seemed vacant, the noise perhaps a figment of his imagination, and he began to feel frustrated.

A loud crash interrupted his search and he looked behind him, hearing the sounds of a scuffle ensuing. A female voice cried out in the jumbled sounds and he began to run back at the sound of Tsukushi's voice. He heard he cry again and just as he neared her desk, he almost ran straight into a strange figure in black. The two collided and Tsukasa struggled to regain his balance, feeling Tsukushi's warm hands steady him for the briefest moment.

"Get him!" Tsukushi pleaded and pulled him to his feet, running after the stranger herself. He watched the stranger run away, his features covered by a ski mask, and Tsukasa raced forward to grab Tsukushi and push her out of the chase. Hoping he wasn't making the same mistake as he had the first time leaving her alone, he left her watching him wide-eyed, her arm pulled to her body with a pained expression on her face.

Tsukushi watched him run away and disappear once again in pursuit of the intruder, her stomach heavy with dread as she found herself alone yet again. Her arm ached from the encounter with the stranger in black and every small noise startled her terribly, her body trembling. Minutes passed and she waited, too worried to step away from her spot. Finally, a door swung open in the distance and she felt her breath catch as footsteps hurried in her direction.

A pair of long legs rounded the corner and Tsukasa's face came into view, bringing a relieved smile to her lips. She neared him nervously, looking him over any injuries. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Tsukasa scowled, still catching his breath. "I don't know what happened… He ran off into one of the floors and I followed him but – but he just disappeared… Makino, what the hell happened?"

Tsukushi breathed deeply, he eyes glancing about wildly as she tried to piece together a plausible explanation. "I don't know – you left and he just showed up out of nowhere. If you hadn't come back, I don't know what would have happened…" Her voiced trailed off and she suddenly felt tears fall onto her cheeks, surprising even her.

Tsukasa watched as she collapsed emotionally before him and he reached out for her hand, drawing her close as he led her towards a chair. "Makino, listen to me. I need to call Rui and let him know what's happened."

"Shouldn't we call the police?" Tsukushi looked to him, her dark eyes wide and liquid with fear, almost distracting him from the task at hand.

"That's not my decision to make," Tsukasa explained vaguely, pulling out his mobile phone from his pocket, gently pushing her into a chair. He stepped away and dialed Rui, speaking quietly, trying not to disturb her any further. "Rui – yes… actually, I'm in your office… no, someone broke in, I think, and Makino was here… Yes, see you then."

He turned to look at Tsukushi, surprised to find her standing behind him, her big eyes intently watching him. "Makino," He looked to her, gently resting a hand on her shoulder and guiding her down into the chair once again. "Makino, I need you to tell me exactly what happened."

Tsukushi nodded, her eyes shut tight. "Alright… After you left, I waited right there for you but someone ran out and pushed me… When I got up, I realized they were trying to unlock Hanazawa Rui's office and I tried to stop them."

Tsukasa suddenly realized how she held her arm strangely to her side and he reached out for her. She cried out and gingerly tried to pull away, drawing his gaze to her face as her delicate features screwed up in pain. "And then?" He asked quietly, inspecting her arm.

"When he saw me, he pushed me," She winced as Tsukasa rolled up the sleeve of her shirt. "I fell into the side of my desk… Ah, ah, it hurts…"

Small bruises were already forming on her pale skin, dark and in the shape of hand, pronouncing the shape of five fingers and a strong grip. Oddly, though, the hand was small in size, the bruises spread out as if the hand was joined by long, slender fingers - the mark of a feminine touch. Tsukasa cursed under his breath, rage piling up inside of him.

"Really, it's not that bad." Tsukushi reached out suddenly to pull her arm close to her, unwilling to admit that the pressure of his own hand was making her arm ache in pain.

Loud footsteps interrupted them and Tsukasa bolted to his feet, his hands raised defensively. He only dropped them when he saw who it was, surprise written on his face. "Rui," He blinked, glancing to his wrist. "How did you get here so soon?"

"I was at a nearby restaurant having dinner with a client," Hanazawa Rui explained hastily, glancing to Tsukushi. He hurried over to her, kneeling down on one knee in front of her, resting his hands on her shoulders as he lowered himself to her eye level. "Makino, are you okay? Are you hurt?" He watched as she pulled away slightly, embarrassed by his attention, but he did nothing to move away.

"I'm fine, just a little banged up," She tried to pull out of his grasp completely, fully aware of Tsukasa's blatant stare. "Really, Hanazawa Rui-"

"What happened?" Rui turned to look at Tsukasa, pulling off his jacket as he spoke. Tsukasa watched as Rui draped his coat around Tsukushi's shoulders, where his own coat had lay minutes earlier, now lost somewhere in the struggle. Through gritted teeth, Tsukasa related the night's events, unable to tear his eyes off of the cozy couple.

Rui nodded, entirely briefed, and pulled out his mobile phone. "You were right not to call the police. It sounds as if someone came to steal something from my office – it must be the bastard trying to run us into the ground."

Tsukasa, despite his annoyance with Rui's handling of Makino, couldn't help but sympathize with his best friend's situation. He watched quietly as Rui called in backup, calling in a team of men to search the building discreetly for any sign of intruders or missing property.

"Rui." Tsukasa broke the silence amongst the three, looking to his friend, his face one hundred percent business. "The intruder – I don't think it was a man." Rui looked to him in surprise, as did Tsukushi. "The bruises on Makino's arm are too small to be made by a man's hand and when I followed the attacker, I caught a hold of her arm – it had to be a woman. The intruder was much too small to have been a man."

"Are you positive about that?" Rui's surprise overrode his concern, upsetting his usually tranquil face. Tsukasa nodded and a strange silence passed between them, until Rui broke the quiet again. "We should get Makino to a doctor." Rui stated, gently pulling Tsukushi to her feet. She protested but Rui refused to listen to her pleads.

"I'll take her to a hospital," Tsukasa volunteered firmly, looking to Tsukushi.

"No, I'll take her." Rui refused his offer frankly. "I'll have her examined by my doctor and escort her home. Come, Makino – Tsukasa, I'll call you later."

"Wait!" Tsukasa hurried over to them, grasping for Tsukushi's hand. "I've got her, Rui. You're needed here right now, aren't you? This is important."

"Makino is important." Rui held firm to her hand, pulling her close to his body. Tsukushi looked to Tsukasa, embarrassed and confused, wishing she was anywhere but in between the two. Her eyes on him increased Tsukasa's grip around her fingers and he tugged on her, trying to draw her away from Rui.

"That's why I'll take her." Tsukasa growled from deep within his throat, furious that Rui refused to let her go.

"Stop it!" Tsukushi interrupted, pulling her arms to her own body. "I'm fine, really, just let me go-"

"You're hurt!" Rui rebuked, frowning at her.

"Don't be stupid, Makino!" Tsukasa unwittingly agreed with Rui, ready to say something else when she suddenly pulled her hand away from his. Rui held onto her firmly, though, and she looked at them both exasperatedly.

"Listen, I'm perfectly fine-"

"No, you're not. You're coming with me." Rui, still holding strong, pulled her close again and began to lead her towards the elevators.

Tsukasa followed, reaching for her again. "Damnit, Rui!"

"Domyouji…" Tsukushi turned to him, her eyes begging him to stop. She knew a storm was brewing and neither would give up unless she put an end to it. Rui pulled her into the elevator and she watched Tsukasa helplessly as Rui whisked her away. Tsukasa couldn't believe his eyes, his hand balled into fists at his sides, his eyes raging as she chose to leave with Rui. As the elevator doors closed, she silently begged him for forgiveness, her eyes on him until the elevator closed him out of the sight.

* * *

Tsukushi's body felt as if it couldn't take anymore exertion. Hanazawa Rui had taken her to a private specialist, banging angrily on the door until someone had appeared and served them with the immediate attention that he demanded. His anger reminded her of Tsukasa, who the thought of left a deep impression inside of her as she remembered the look he'd given her as she left, almost appearing betrayed, hurt by her choice. She'd had little time to dwell on it, though, as the doctor put her through an extensive obstacle course of x-rays and physical examinations.

As she sat in Rui's car, the dimly lit streets of Tokyo passing her by from her position in the luxury vehicle, her fingers closed around the small bottle of painkillers the doctor had presented to her. Rui was driving her home and she could hardly wait to arrive, to sleep in her futon, and her eyes closed, her head falling back to rest on the seat. She was simply too tired to even move anymore.

Rui glanced over to Tsukushi as he drove, reaching over to adjust his jacket over her body to cover her properly as she closed her eyes. Her breathing slowed and he impulsively reached over for her hand, pulling it into his tightly. She didn't stir, already asleep, and he felt a wave of protectiveness wash over him as he cradled her small hand in his. When he'd first heard that she'd been attacked, his body had taken over and he immediately ran to rescue her, more worried than he could ever remember feeling. He cursed himself for causing her to work late, ashamed that he had been almost directly responsible for her pain, and he tightened his grasp on her hand. Whoever this woman was, she was now a part of him, a part of his life that he knew he needed to protect from everything evil. She had maddened him with her presence at first but as the weeks had passed, her constant questioning and pushiness became attributes that he grew to find amusing, almost adorable. Rui would be the one to save Tsukushi the next time and shield her from harm, because she meant more to him than he'd ever realized. He would now become her protector.


	8. Simple Pleasures

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Hana Yori Dango, which belongs entirely to Yoko Kamio-san. This story is purely a figment of my imagination.

**Chapter 8: Simple Pleasures**

Ever since that fateful night on the thirtieth floor of the Hanazawa Corporation, Hanazawa Rui had remained by Makino Tsukushi's side like a tick. He made sure she never stayed later than he did, often offering her rides home (many of which she felt necessary to decline) or stayed behind in his office, reading a book as she finished up her day's tasks. His constant presence and odd shift in attitude made Tsukushi uncomfortable, despite the fact that he usually had a calming effect on her. If he had to leave on business, Rui would call Tsukushi every hour or so, to simply confirm she was alive, breathing, and perfectly comfortable. The first time he had called she had been caught off guard, more curious about where he had gotten her mobile phone number (she hadn't even given it on her employment application) than his actual purpose, and since then she'd grown accustomed to the phone calls. She even could pick up the phone and immediately greet him, instinctively knowing it was him without checking the caller identification.

So when Rui had called her that morning to request her company on a day trip to Sendai, she had readily agreed without much confusion. True, he had called at five in the morning only to pick her up at six, but she was nonetheless excited. The Makino family had hardly ever gone on vacation in Tsukushi's life; the most they had ever done was splurge on an excursion to Tokyo Disneyland or go on short sightseeing trips to the beach or other inexpensive destinations. Tsukushi had been embarrassed when Rui had pulled up to her dingy apartment building, its flaws horrifically apparent in the early daylight, but he'd simply greeted her and closed her car door like a gentleman.

His kind behavior extended well into the morning. They had driven in near silence for an hour, until he had stopped at a gas station and returned with two cups of coffee and sweet bread. Almost another two hours passed in the car and as the morning drew on, he began to make phone calls. Tsukushi took second command from the passenger seat, handing him coffee and reading off documents whenever he requested it. Soon, he pulled over to another convenience store to refill the gasoline and rest, and Tsukushi took the opportunity to get out and stretch. They had been driving along coastline for a while now and the air smelled clean, tinted with salt and cold. She waited for a few cars to pass and headed across the street, walking towards the sandy beach just beyond the pavement. The sky was cloudy, the wind tugging at her hair, and she impulsively knelt down, picking up and letting some of the pale sand drip out of her fingers. Smiling to herself, she stood again, turning at the touch of a hand on her shoulder.

Hanazawa Rui towered over her, holding a second cup of coffee in his hand and a few glossy magazines in the other. He held out the magazines to her and studied the ocean before them. "I know it's been a long drive. We've got only twenty minutes to go but I thought you might prefer to read something other than contracts."

Tsukushi smiled at the magazines, pleasantly surprised by this act of generosity. "Thank you, Hanazawa Rui. It's beautiful here, isn't it?" She looked back to the ocean, inhaling the sea air deep into her lungs.

"Aren't you cold?" Rui asked, looking down to her amusedly.

"No." Tsukushi met his eyes and smiled. "It feels wonderful to be out here, out of the city. Don't you agree?"

Rui didn't reply and instead glanced back to the vehicle. "Perhaps later we'll have time and you can take a walk before we head back to Tokyo. Shall we?" He motioned to the car and Tsukushi followed him back across the street, hugging the magazines to her chest with a small smile.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Tsukushi had just barely finished paging through a fashion magazine she had little interest in when Rui pulled into a long driveway. A large old-fashioned Japanese style inn appeared in the distance, framed by large evergreen and maple trees that had long fallen barren from the cold. They stepped out of the vehicle onto the graveled drive and Tsukushi pulled the small travel bag she'd brought with her out of the car. An elderly woman in a cotton house kimono hurried out of the inn and after a deep bow, pulled Tsukushi's bag from her hand. Tsukushi hurried to move after her but Rui stopped her, touch her arm pointedly.

Rui cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable with what he was about to say. He couldn't quite meet her eyes and instead looked somewhere off over her shoulder. "I came here to meet a rather big client of ours. Our contract with him is due to expire next month but he's begun to make a few unreasonable demands concerning its renewal." Rui absently raised a few fingers to his temple, obviously distressed by the situation.

Tsukushi could guess where the conversation was headed and she gently prompted him to continue. "And you brought me here to…"

Rui frowned, a deep crevice forming between his eyebrows. "He's a bit old fashioned, our client. Usually he holds our meetings in a teahouse where he has favorite hostesses." Rui hesitated and finally met her gaze. "I wanted to ask you to serve tea during the meeting. Naturally, though, if you would feel uncomfortable doing so, you have every right to object. You can spend the rest of the day relaxing here and I'll consider it a day of work, just like any other."

Tsukushi widened her eyes at his unusual request, suddenly understanding his odd behavior. Immediately, part of her wanted to reject his proposal and spend the rest of the day exploring the inn, but as she studied his troubled face, she couldn't help but take pity on him. Smiling, she let out an exasperated sigh. "Ah, well, you know how it is, Hanazawa Rui – it's all in a day's work for a wonder woman like me."

Rui smiled, a genuine smile that lit up his entire face. He looked ten years younger and she couldn't help but match his toothy grin. He knew he could count on her to come through when he needed her the most, and he led her into the inn, his hand on the small of her back.

* * *

Later, though, as Tsukushi found herself sitting on the floor of the inn's small tearoom, she couldn't help but wish that she'd declined. If this was the job of a hostess, she would rather be Hanazawa Rui's secretary for life rather than to stoop that low; she could handle a few hours but certainly not a career's worth. It also didn't help that she lacked the natural skills of a professional hostess – she poured the tea with a clumsy hand and found it difficult to remain silent unless spoken to. Rui had not mentioned their relationship in front of their client, a certain Nishimoto-san, and she appreciated it, for she did not want the excess attention.

Instead of speaking, Tsukushi knelt on a pale green silk cushion, anticipating when the client or Rui would finish their tea and replenish their cups or serve them small snacks. It was not a comfortable cushion and she could feel the hard tatami mats beneath her legs. The tearoom was beautiful, simple but elegantly decorated with fine materials and minimal detail. Through large glass doors she could see the exterior gardens and beyond it the ocean, so tantalizing near while she sat confined inside. She shifted her weight delicately, trying not to make noise, and she found herself slightly uncomfortable in her garments. The elderly woman who had taken her bags had complied with Tsukushi when she had explained her situation and lent her a beautiful silk kimono to entertain in. While the material was comfortable, it was certainly not ideal for sitting in during lengthy business meetings.

Occasionally Rui would look to her conspicuously out of the corner of his eye, apparently concerned as he knew the meeting held little interest for her. The client, Nishimoto-san, also seemed to look her way often enough, and his fingertips unnecessarily grazed her thigh several times as she poured him tea. Nonetheless, Tsukushi grated her teeth and remained calm; if he hadn't been older than her father, she surely would have slapped him on any other occasion. After nearly an hour of holding her tongue, though, Rui had talked the client around and Tsukushi happily called for a tray of warm sake to commemorate the renewal of their client's contract. As she poured the men's drinks, her spirits lifted at the thought of it ending soon, and she smiled to herself. Maybe she did have some of the makings of a proper hostess, after all.

Rui and Tsukushi both escorted the client out of the inn to his waiting car and as Tsukushi bowed her goodbyes, she looked up in surprise as Nishimoto-san moved to action. He pulled a small, intricately wrapped box from his coat pocket and presented it to her with both hands, bowing his head ever so slightly.

Tsukushi accepted the box with her hands, bowing again without really knowing what she was accepting. The elderly man smiled at her, wrinkles crinkling at the corners of his eyes. "You did well," He said kindly and winked at Rui. "Take good care of him."

Tsukushi waited until his car rounded the drive and disappeared before she carefully opened the box, exposing two sugary sweets shaped like chrysanthemum flowers. Rui peered curiously over her shoulder as she marveled at the pretty confections, jumping a little when she turned to face him suddenly.

"Let's go eat!" She said with a wide grin and began to head for a path that led around the inn, towards the sea.

"Where are you going?" Rui called after her, watching her curiously as she headed off, still dressed in her kimono. "Aren't you going to change your clothes?"

"No, I'd rather eat this." She help up the box, shrugging as looked down to the complicated obi belt around her waist. "And I can't untie this by myself, anyway."

Rui nearly found himself offering to help but he stopped himself just in time, shocked at what he had almost said aloud. He had meant to offer it as a gesture of goodwill but spoken aloud, it would hardly come off sounding like that. Pushing aside these thoughts, Rui followed her down the path onto the beach, falling into stride beside her.

Tsukushi held out one of the sweets and Rui reluctantly accepted it. "You don't have to share this with me, you know. You earned these yourself."

"He told me to take care of you, didn't he?" Tsukushi jested in good fun, taking a bite of her own. Letting out a happy moan, she chewed on the confection voraciously. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until now.

Rui watched her smile and bit into his own treat, wondering what the fuss was all about. "You look nice." He said out of the blue, catching himself even by surprise. "In that kimono, I mean." He finished awkwardly, looking away.

Tsukushi glanced to the kimono, oddly pleased by his words. It was not a terribly fancy kimono – the silk was a well worn silver, printed with maple leaves and branches up one leg. The obi belt was made of a deep lavender satin, plain and simply tied. His words flattered her. "I may not act like a real hostess but I suppose I played the part well enough." She smiled, nibbling on the remainder of her food.

"I thought you did just fine," Rui replied honestly, slipping his hands into his coat pocket. It was brisk outside and the ocean air made it seem even colder.

"Why me?" Tsukushi wondered aloud, looking to Rui. There was something about being far away from everyone that made her feel as if she could ask him whatever, say whatever was on her mind. She had felt this way before at the sushi shop but for some reason, she felt he wouldn't get mad this time if she spoke her mind. "Why me?" She repeated again. "You could have easily hired a professional hostess for the job, rather than bringing me all the way out here."

Rui was quiet for a moment, mulling over his words carefully. "Nishimoto-san's hostesses usually offer more services than pouring tea, if you know what I mean. He usually hires them with my enjoyment in mind but I've never taken him up on the offer. I needed you there to maintain the custom but you were the only one I could trust to keep his mind on business."

Tsukushi pulled a face and unconsciously touched the neck of her kimono, as if making sure it was properly covering everything it should be as she remembered the man's touch. What had he thought of her?

Rui watched her reaction and suddenly felt ashamed of himself for even mentioning Nishimoto-san. "Makino, please – don't think like that. I would have sent you away if he had tried anything else, though, really, he does mean no harm."

"You noticed?" Tsukushi asked quietly, shocked at his level of attentiveness. When she hadn't reacted to the client's hand on her thigh and Rui hadn't said anything, she had assumed he hadn't noticed her discomfort.

Rui cleared his throat and looked to the ground. "I was out of line for even asking you but I am truly grateful that you came with me. Makino, this morning you were the only one I could think that I trusted to handle the situation and help me."

Rui's words hung heavily over the two for a moment, only to be broken by Tsukushi as she knelt down to the ground suddenly. She stood just as quickly and held out a hand to Rui, smiling quietly.

Rui watched her confusedly and slowly held out his own hand, unsure of how to respond. Tsukushi dropped something cold into his palm and he pulled it away to see a shell lying there, its insides a beautiful pearly pink that shined dully beneath the overcast sky.

"A gift." She explained. All was forgiven it seemed, for she had been touched by his concern. "Congratulation on renewing your contract, Hanazawa Rui."

Rui smiled and closed his fingers around the shell. Tsukushi had already begun to walk away, strolling along in the sand, and he followed her, his large footsteps covering up her smaller ones.

* * *

Rui had been procrastinating the drive back to Tokyo but when Tsukushi had mentioned it over dinner, he realized he was not at liberty to keep her beyond what they had agreed on. Truthfully, he would liked to have booked them separate rooms and stayed overnight, but he supposed it would be inconsiderate to assume that's what she wanted too. The drive home seemed much longer and the coastline disappeared from view when darkness fell. Over the hills in the distance, he could see the glow of Tokyo coming into view and he knew he had about an hour more of driving before they reached the outskirts of the city.

Tsukushi had long abandoned him and had fallen soundly asleep, curled up in the passenger seat, which was quickly becoming the second place she slept the most. They had walked down the beach for what seemed like hours, speaking about nothing in particular. Tsukushi had collected a small seashell collection for herself and Rui still had the one she had gifted him, tucked into his coat pocket, protected from possible damage. As they had walked, Rui had found himself inexplicably drawn to her presence. In her kimono, with her long black hair pulled back, he'd watched how the wind had tugged at strands of her coiffure and toyed with them in the breeze. At that moment, he couldn't help but think she looked rather lovely every time she smiled at him as they meandered along the water's edge.

His thoughts troubled him, though, because he was beginning to realize the effect she had on him was inappropriate for their working relationship. Yet, that didn't stop the thoughts from coming. He stole a glance at her as she slept, as if suspicious that she might be able to hear his thoughts, but saw no response. His eyes rested momentarily on her closed eyes, a bewitchingly peaceful sight, before he turned his attention back to the task of driving. His hand reached to turn on some music as a hopeful distraction but the sound of her soft breathing stopped his hand. He chose instead to drive on in silence, savoring the calming effect of her company, as Tokyo drew closer over the horizon.


	9. Misguided Youth

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Hana Yori Dango, which belongs entirely to Yoko Kamio-san. This story is purely a figment of my imagination.

**Chapter 9: Misguided Youth**

Hanazawa Rui was beginning to become a staple in Makino Tsukushi's life and she was slowly warming up to him being such. After their trip to the beach, he had taken to calling her often for reasons other than work, summoning her to meet up with him with the intent of bringing him important documents. She found it odd sometimes, as he would occasionally call her out very late or meet her in front of her apartment at all hours of the night. However, it was becoming more common than not and when he had called her earlier that morning, she hadn't found it the least bit strange that he had requested another favor from her. Rui had asked that she accompany him to a party, a black tie event that he claimed would be full of "stuffy old men" and had requested her assistance maneuvering the social obstacles of the evening.

That was how Tsukushi found herself shopping later that Saturday evening, deep in the heart of the prestigious central Ginza shopping district. She browed through the racks of many stores, inconspicuously heading to the sales racks, desperately searching for a suitable frock. Normally she would never step foot in Ginza but Rui had stressed the formality of the situation and she found herself not wanting to offend him by showing up looking frumpy. Yet, she could find nothing that suited her budget, but plenty that suited her taste. Frustrated, Tsukushi reached out and grabbed a simple, old-fashioned black frock off of the rack and headed for the sales check out. At least it was a recognizable brand name, she thought, failing to console herself. The dress did little to flatter her but she knew the chances of finding something cheap was unlikely.

Her wallet considerably lighter, Tsukushi stepped out of the store and hurried to walk away, only to run directly into someone's hard chest. Jumping back, she muttered her excuses and trailed off as she found herself looking into the face of none other than Domyouji Tsukasa. A pleasant looking young man stood next to him and he smiled softly at the flustered Tsukushi.

"What are you doing here?" Tsukasa looked uncomfortable for a moment and he scowled, anxiously stepping from foot to foot.

"Nothing." Tsukushi stared back at him, feeling thoroughly awkward to see him. She had not seen him since the night of the attack in the office and the tension from that night still hung heavily over them. She stepped away, hurrying to leave, but Tsukasa moved into her way and she accidentally dropped her bag. The dress inside spilled out and she scrambled to rescue it but Tsukasa beat her to it.

He pulled out the dress and the man next to him winced, obviously displeased by her choice. "You bought this?" Tsukasa looked to her incredulously, a smirk tugging at his mouth.

Tsukushi snatched the dress back and stuffed it into the bag, moving to escape. She looked to the man next to him and nodded goodbye, muttering her adieu quietly.

The strange man had no intention of letting her get away easily, though, and he reached out gently to take her arm. "Mimasaka Akira," He said with a wide grin, introducing himself, and as she studied his features, she wondered how she hadn't recognized him. Akira looked to Tsukasa and smiled. "Tsukasa, you wouldn't let her wear that thing in public, would you? I would love to help out but I'm afraid there's a lovely lady waiting for me… Somewhere." He smiled one last time at the two before waving goodbye and wandering off, disappearing into the thick crowds.

Tsukushi tried to escape as Tsukasa nodded goodbye to his friend but he still managed to follow her, despite her unsuccessful attempts to run away. "I didn't think people like you shopped around here," He said sarcastically, puffing his chest up a little as he fell into his old habits. "I guess you're lucky you ran into me, aren't you?"

Tsukushi rolled her eyes; if he was going to act childish, then so was she. "That's reason enough for me to never come here again." She held up the bag. "I just came to shop for a dress because I have an important party to go to."

Tsukasa followed her as she walked, trailing along like a lost puppy. "What kind of party? Even though I'm sure anyone I know wouldn't be there, anyways."

"I don't really know. Some party that Hanazawa Rui has to go to." Tsukushi answered with a slight glare, annoyed with him. She quickened her pace in an attempt to lose him. "Don't you have small animals to torture right now or something?"

Tsukasa's hand shot out and wrapped roughly around her own, pulling her to a stop. She tried to pry his fingers away, the pressure from them painful on her skin.

"Rui's taking you to a party?" Tsukasa asked, his expression dark. Whatever friendship they'd forged in the last few weeks seemed lost now, forgotten by the circumstances in which they had parted the last time.

"That's what I said. Now, let go of me." Tsukushi tried to pull away, holding her arm with a hurt expression.

Tsukasa hesitated for a moment and then he tightened his grip on her, grasping her hand tightly in his as he began to pull her in the opposite direction, his stony expression unyielding.

"What are you doing?" Tsukushi cried, trying desperately to pull away. His changing moods frightened her and she hated being pushed around by him. "Let me go!" She grumbled, struggling to match his long strides.

"You'll need something better to wear than that ugly thing." Tsukasa declared, his eyes focused on a particular shop in the distance. "Return it." He pushed Tsukushi through the doors of the shop and she whirled around, waving a finger angrily at him.

"Listen, you, I didn't ask for your help!" She glared at him, knitting her eyebrows. Whatever had happened to the good, kind side he had begun to show her just days ago? "I want to go home right now."

Tsukasa caught her as she tried to wriggle free around him, pushing her deeper into the store, towards the women's clothing section. "Be quiet. I'm buying you a new one, so don't complain."

"Buy me a new one?" Tsukushi exclaimed loudly, attracting the attention of several nearby customers. "I don't need a new one, Domyouji – get your hands off of me!"

A gaggle of store assistants ran over to them, gathering around the two. "Domyouji-san, what can we do for you and your guest?" A small store girl asked, looking around frantically at the staring customers, obviously hoping the two would calm down.

"She needs a dress." Domyouji declared, prodding Tsukushi into the crowd of sales assistants. "Bring me everything that's in her size."

Tsukushi yelped as the girls produced tape measures and began to circle her viciously, calling out her measurements for all to hear. "Domyouji, make them stop!" She hissed, hugging her middle nervously, hoping they wouldn't measure around her stomach.

Domyouji misinterpreted her wild expression for fear and snapped his fingers loudly. "Can't you fools just guess her size?" He growled and the sales clerks scattered in fright, spreading across the store to find the perfect dress.

Tsukushi jumped as an assistant showed up with a silver platter bearing two tall stemmed flutes of champagne, herding them to the back of the store. They were led to a private dressing room, where the assistants were already assembling racks of clothing. A price tag caught her eye and she paled at the sight - it was more than she made in a year! She began to back away and bolt for the door but Tsukasa caught her, pushing her down firmly into a chair. He stood guard over her and she reached out swiftly to kick him, which he deftly avoided, amused by her determination.

"Domyouji, this is ridiculous!" Tsukushi pleaded with him, irritated by his calm demeanor. "What do you think you're doing? You can't buy me a dress! Just let me go home!"

"Domyouji-san, we've assembled some choices for you," The sales clerk appeared again, motioning to the full clothing racks behind her. "Is your guest ready?"

"She's ready." Tsukasa answered for her and Tsukushi scowled as five pairs of hands reached for her, pulling her into the dressing room. She turned to plead with Tsukasa one last time but he just smiled, chuckling at her loud protests as he sipped on champagne. A loud crash echoed from the dressing room and as he turned to look, Tsukushi's voice carried loudly through the shop:

"I CAN UNDRESS MYSELF, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!"

Tsukasa laughed and sat down in her empty chair, waiting patiently for her to return. Tsukushi stumbled out a few minutes later, barefoot and awkwardly dressed in an immensely puffy ball gown, disgust written all over her face. She scowled as Tsukasa burst into laughter at the sight of her but before she could complain, the assistants pulled her back in. They repeated the process several more times and it wasn't until the fifth try that she pushed through the thick velvet curtains of the dressing room and wasn't assaulted by Tsukasa's laughter.

At the sight of her, he rose from his chair silently, stepping closer to her. Tsukushi looked to the floor awkwardly, her long hair falling across her face in a dark cloud as she stared at her feet, modest at his silence. Tsukasa seemed not to notice, though, and he simply took her in. She had been outfitted in a simply cut dress of inky black raw silk that fell to her mid-calf in a full skirt. The silk wrapped around in layers around her slender waist, tightly pulling into her small waist before scooping into a wide neckline. Her pale collarbones were striking against the midnight color and emphasized the graceful arch of her neck, drawing out the silky black of her tresses.

Tsukushi finally looked to him, her cheeks tinged pink, her tone urgent. "Domyouji, won't you let me go home now? This is foolish – it's mad, have you seen what this dress costs?"

Tsukasa did not reply and instead withdrew his wallet from his coat pocket and handed over a shiny card to the waiting sales clerks.

"Domyouji!" Tsukushi pleaded, helplessly watching as the sales clerks scurried off "Stop them-"

"Why don't you change?" Tsukasa suggested, finally looking her in the eyes. "I'll take you home."

* * *

It had taken some doing but Tsukasa had finally managed to get a good enough hold on Tsukushi to plop her into the back seat of his car. His driver had locked all of the doors and Tsukushi had had no choice to share the seat with Tsukasa as they drove towards her apartment. She had refused to speak to him the entire way, though, speaking only to his driver to provide him with directions, much to the amusement of Tsukasa. When the vehicle stopped in front of her apartment and doors were unlocked, Tsukushi thanked the driver and hurried out, taking only the bag she had bought herself with her.

Tsukasa cursed under his breath and followed the stubborn woman, grabbing the bag he had bought as he scrambled out of the car. "You forgot this." He pulled her to face him, shoving the bag into her arms, but she still resisted.

"I didn't need you to buy me a dress," Tsukushi refused, struggling to get away from him. It was frigid outside and the snow was starting to slowly fall, blanketing the night in a cold, wet cover. She wanted nothing more than to get inside where it was warm. "It's much too expensive, I could never accept it."

"That doesn't matter! It's yours, take it!" Tsukasa protested with equal force and in their struggled they stepped on a patch of slick asphalt. He saw Tsukushi's eyes widen and her legs give out beneath her as she lost balance. He reached out and grabbed her with both arms, nearly losing his own footing in the process. He felt her arms wrap around him and she clung to him instinctively, her face pressed into his chest as she held tightly to him for support.

He gently released her once her feet were firmly on the ground again and stepped away, looking off into the distance. "Are you okay?" He asked gruffly, clearing his throat.

Tsukushi nodded, her cheeks a deep pink, and she murmured her thanks.

"That dress is a gift," Tsukasa said quietly, holding the bag out to her once again, more gentle with his words and mannerisms. "You deserve a present. You looked beautiful in it."

Tsukushi reached out slowly to accept the bag, unsure of how to respond to his words, and he had just opened his mouth to say something else when loud footsteps rang out loudly and a man sprinted towards them out of the darkness. A large group of men ran at his heels, a few holding baseball bats and yelling loud curses. Tsukasa stepped in front of Tsukushi as the men neared, and she peeked out from behind him curiously. The running man tumbled to the ground in front of them and Tsukushi ran around Tsukasa to reach out to him, recognizing his face in the dim light.

"Susumu!" Tsukushi's hands reached out for her brother's as the group of men began to pull at him, dragging him away from her. She cried out and tried to hold onto him but Tsukasa pulled her away roughly, away from the men.

"Leave him alone!" Tsukushi yelled and pushed Tsukasa away, who stared at her in bewilderment. The thugs yelled loudly at her, cursing her and threatening to hurt her if she interfered, but nothing could stop her from trying to reach her brother. A fist brushed her cheek and she stumbled backwards, straight into a pair of hands that began to pull her away.

Tsukasa released her at a safe distance and suddenly jumped forward, his fist colliding directly with the nose of the man who had nearly hit Tsukushi. The man fell and Tsukushi watched in horror as Tsukasa turned on Susumu, delivering a swift punch to his gut. Her brother gasped and fell to the ground, while the rest of the thugs exchanged confused glances, startled by Tsukasa's sudden violence. They picked up their bats as Tsukasa looked to them and began to back away, running away into the night, yelling loud threats and curses, promising to return.

Scrambling to her feet, Tsukushi ran to Susumu as Tsukasa prepared to strike him again, shielding him with her own body. "Stop!" She yelled and Tsukasa looked to her angrily.

"How can you defend him?" Tsukasa roared and Tsukushi felt a shiver run down her spin, frightened by his tone. "How can you defend a man who brings gangsters home? You could get hurt! How could live with a man who can't even protect his own woman?" Domyouji bellowed, drawing the attention of the neighbors; lights flickered on in nearby apartments, windows slid open for a better look.

Tsukushi could hardly believe her ears when he came at Susumu again and she hurried to stay his hand. Almost hugging him, using her body to stop his advances, Tsukushi begged him to stop. "He's my brother, Domyouji!" She cried and Tsukasa looked down to her wide eyes, his body relaxing abruptly, though her hold around him didn't falter.

"He's my brother." Tsukushi repeated, her eyes begging Tsukasa to leave him alone.

**A Note From Me:** _I'm so sorry to my faithful readers for the delay in this update. Over the Christmas holidays I went on a sudden (and VERY unplanned) one month trip out of the country to visit family and since I've returned, the semester has started again... And life just flies by sometimes, doesn't it? :) I promise to now try to maintain my usual weekly updates and I'm already writing the final chapters. I have an idea in mind for my next story, so I'm excited to finish this one... I hope school is treating you all well and that you continue to read and review. Your reviews really are what my make my writing worth it for me. Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy this update. - Jackie_


	10. A Man Among Men

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Hana Yori Dango, which belongs entirely to Yoko Kamio-san. This story is purely a figment of my imagination.

**Chapter 10: A Man Among Men**

He's my brother.

Tsukasa dropped his fist at Tsukushi's words and stepped away, surveying the situation, totally bewildered. He had completely misunderstood – he'd thought Susumu was her boyfriend, her lover even, so he hadn't hesitated hitting him. But, why did it matter who he was anyways, Domyouji Tsukasa thought confusedly, staring at Tsukushi intently. Why had he suddenly gotten so angry? What did it matter to him whom Makino Tsukushi lived with?

"Nee-chan, are you okay?" Makino Susumu croaked, spitting out a mouthful of blood onto the snowy pavement, leaving a sickening puddle of red on the virgin white ground. He coughed and held a hand to his ribs, obviously severely injured.

Tsukushi's eyes darkened angrily and she whirled around to face her brother, immediately forgetting about Tsukasa. "What have you done, Susumu?" She asked, her tone dangerously low as she walked closer with every word. "Did you borrow money again? What was the excuse this time? To pay the bills? To go play pachinko?" His silence told her all she needed to know; she raised her hand and his cheek burned bright red, the echo of her slap shocking Domyouji out of his stupor. Apparently, she'd saved her brother so that she could kill him herself.

Tsukasa raced forward and grabbed her hand as she raised it again, surprised to find that she immediately gave into him, her muscles relaxing abruptly. Tsukushi began to laugh at the idiocy of the situation, of the reversal of roles between the normally violent Tsukasa and herself, and she covered her face with both hands. How pathetic she must look to everyone, she thought; her brother collected gambling debts like rare coins, Tsukasa had had to buy her a proper dress because she couldn't afford one herself, and now he was there to witness the humiliation that was her life… Her laughter crumbled into tears and she turned away from them both, her shoulders shaking as she tried to control herself.

Tsukasa looked to Susumu, who was watching his sister with a horror struck expression. Tsukasa motioned for Susumu to go inside and he stepped closer to Tsukushi as her brother scampered off up the stairs, looking to her in concern. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and drew her to his chest, her slender body fitting against his neatly. He said nothing but simply held onto her, warming her cold body with his warmth. Tsukushi mumbled into his chest, inaudible muffled noises, and he waiting patiently for her tears to stop.

She eventually pulled away from him and wiped her face with her fingers, too embarrassed to meet his eyes. "You should come in for a cup of tea. It's cold out here." She stated the obvious, her mind too muddled to produce rational thoughts. She turned from him and walked up the stairs to her apartment, pausing at the door only to find no one behind her. A few moments later Tsukasa bounded up the steps and she heard the sound of a car's engine driving away.

"You shouldn't have done that – it's difficult to get a taxi out of this area late at night." She warned him, realizing he had sent his driver and car away.

"I won't need one. I'm not leaving tonight." Domyouji's tone was firm and Tsukushi had the feeling that he would sleep outside of her door if he had to. "Those men may come back later – it's not safe for you here."

Tsukushi wanted to argue but a part of her felt ever so slightly afraid that what he said was true. She nodded and let him enter, walking inside to find Susumu standing by the kitchen sink, holding a towel to his mouth. At the sight of her brother, Tsukushi felt her resolve crumble, and she felt as if she might start to cry again.

"Susumu, I'm so sorry…" She murmured, reaching out for him, then, thinking better of it, pulled away. "I don't know what I was thinking. Are you badly hurt?"

Susumu smiled at his sister's concern and placed a hand affectionately on her shoulder. He pulled the towel away from his face and set it out of sight, so that the sight of his blood on it wouldn't alarm her. "Nee-chan, I'm okay. Really, I'm okay… I've learned my lesson. I'm just in a little pain, that's all…"

Tsukushi nodded fervently and hurried off into one of the adjoining rooms, opening cupboards and pulling out bedding. As she set up Susumu's futon, he and Tsukasa exchanged awkward glances, both too embarrassed or uncomfortable to do much other than introduce themselves. When she finished, Tsukushi helped Susumu into his futon and cleaned a few of his wounds, before sliding the paper doors to his room shut, surprised to find herself face to face with Tsukasa. She found him watching her, leaning against a wall, and Tsukushi realized she had completely forgotten about him.

The rational side of her brain wondered why Domyouji Tsukasa, the overall pain in the rear he was, was standing in her kitchen but she remembered her promise to give him a cup of tea. Tsukushi was no liar and so she set forth searching her cabinets for a clean mug. "I'm sorry about all of this," She looked to him, smiling nervously. "I'm really not this much of a train wreck normally, you know…"

Her voice trailed off to a squeak as Tsukasa stepped forward suddenly, looking at her intently. She stared up into his face, finding it difficult to concentrate on anything else. "What are you doing?" She stammered and stepped back, knocking into the cabinets.

"Your cheek." Tsukasa pointed, frowning. "There's blood on it."

Tsukushi looked around and reached for the toaster oven on the counter, turning it to look at her reflection on the toaster's shiny surface. He was right; there was a small but noticeable cut on her right cheekbone, surrounded by a growing purple bruise. She reached up absently to touch it and suddenly remembered a fist barely colliding with her cheek during the scuffle, just before Tsukasa had pulled her away.

She heard Tsukasa fiddling with the small first aid kit she had used to patch up Susumu, watching as he withdrew antiseptic and a large band-aid.

"Come here," He requested, reaching out with his hand to gently pull her closer. He pressed a cotton pad soaked with antiseptic to her cut and Tsukushi shrank away, her cheek burning.

"I'll do it myself." She reached for her own cotton pad, her senses in a frenzy at the proximity of his body. The burning sensation spread from her cheek and down her body, causing a shiver to travel down her spine.

"Come here," Tsukasa repeated again, his voice gentler, and he dabbed delicately at her cheek. She winced as the antiseptic entered her wound, surprised to find his touch considerably lighter. She opened her eyes again just in time to see him unwrapping a massive bandage, much too large for her cheek.

"What do you think you're doing?" She chuckled and plucked the bandage from him, searching through the first aid kit until she found a much more suitable and smaller one. She boldly held it out to him, patting her cheek with a finger.

He drew near and the sudden touch of his fingers on her face increased her heartbeat until it pounded painfully in her chest, beating too loudly for her to hear anything else. He didn't seem to notice, though, and simply smiled ever so softly as he placed the band-aid over her cut.

Tsukushi chuckled nervously, wringing her hands, and her thoughts drifted. "Are you hungry?" She asked suddenly. "I'm hungry."

Tsukasa watched, perplexed by her sudden change, and simply shrugged. "I doubt you have anything suitable to my palate," He muttered to himself, looking around her tiny kitchen.

Tsukushi seemed not to hear him as she reached for a couple of bowls of instant ramen noodles, unwrapping the plastic from them with shaky hands. "I'm afraid this is all I have to offer."

Tsukasa peered over her shoulder as she prepared the instant noodles, frowning down at them. "That doesn't look like the picture." He pointed to noodle's wrapper, which displayed a full bowl of noodles garnished with meat and vegetables.

"You've never eaten instant noodles before, have you?" Tsukushi looked to him in disbelief, shaking her head amazedly. "That's just the picture," She struggled to explain, wanting to chuckle at his obvious confusion. "Everyone knows it really doesn't look like that. It's just the advertising."

"Seafood flavoring," Tsukasa continued to scrutinize the package. He picked one up and examined contents. "There's nothing in here but noodles." He looked to Tsukushi, annoyed.

Tsukushi rolled her eyes and reached for the hot water kettle, filling up the containers with boiling water. "Push the lid down," She instructed Tsukasa, showing him how to secure the paper flap to the Styrofoam bowl.

"Is that it?" Tsukasa asked, fumbling with the discarded packaging. "Where are the vegetables?"

Tsukushi sighed; he obviously still didn't understand. "There are no vegetables. If you want it to look like the picture, you have cut them up yourself."

"Me? Cut vegetables?" Tsukasa laughed, smugly pushing the instant noodles towards Tsukushi with a pointed look. "Domyouji Tsukasa doesn't cut vegetables."

Tsukushi simply glared at him, forgetting the effect he had had on her moments earlier. "Well, I'm not going to do it for you." She reached into a drawer and pulled out a knife. Tsukasa stepped back, looking frightened as she opened the refrigerator and began to pull out green peppers, mushrooms, and small bags of vegetables. She placed them in front of him and held out the knife. "You want it to look like the picture, you cut them."

Tsukasa stared at the vegetables blankly for a moment, unsure of how to respond. As she watched him smugly, he felt his pride begin to kick in and he pulled the knife away from her. Did she think he couldn't do it? He was the great Domyouji Tsukasa - certainly he was capable of slicing a few measly vegetables. He glared at her, mentally commanding her to cut them up herself, but her only response was to walk away, searching the cupboards for something. Grudgingly, he reached for the knife and began to slice at the vegetables awkwardly, not quite sure how to proceed.

A few minutes later Tsukushi looked over her shoulder casually, only to stare at him in shock. "What… What are you doing?" She asked, gazing down at the mess he had created. The green pepper lay in a mangled heap, seeds, stem, and all chopped up together.

"What?" Tsukasa barked, peeved at her expression. Apparently he'd done something wrong in her eyes but he had no idea what. "You told me to cut them up, so I cut them up! Make up your mind…"

Tsukushi watched him scowl, her first instinct to call him a brat, but as she watched how frustrated he had become at her comment, her heart bent a little and she looked to him kindly. "What I meant was, you see, you don't eat these inner bits…" She reached over and pulled out chunks of seeds, then reached for the stem. "Or this. It doesn't taste very good. That's all."

"Really?" Tsukasa watched her out of the corner of his eye, studying her movements as she began to slice a second green pepper, creating neat strips. "What about the rest?"

Tsukushi looked to the other vegetables he'd chopped, all hacked into awkward pieces or smashed into a pulp, and she held in a laugh. They were ugly, but still edible, and she turned to him. "They're perfect." She said with a grin, picking up small handfuls and garnishing the ramen noodles with them. Out of her sight, Tsukasa smiled widely to himself, childishly pleased by her praise.

* * *

Tsukushi felt ashamed of her tiny dining table and cushions, for she was sure Tsukasa ate at a much more impressive table, but the sight of him across from her on the floor warmed her spirit a little. Tsukasa did not notice the happy glint in her eyes but simply tried to settle into, completely unaccustomed to eating on the floor.

"How is it?" Tsukushi asked as he scooped a large glob of noodles into his mouth, and immediately started to laugh at the expression on his face – it told her everything she needed to know.

"This – this is disgusting!" Tsukasa spluttered and Tsukushi giggled even harder. "Is this something that only poor people can enjoy?" Tsukasa throw down his chopsticks with a scowl. "I can't eat this kind of stuff. It's horrible."

He watched as she continued to laugh at him, about to tell her something rude when his stomach grumbled in hunger. Tsukushi wiped tears from her eyes as she chuckled, holding her hands to face as she struggled to stop laughing.

"Stop it!" Tsukasa demanded, crossing his arms sternly. "It's not funny!"

Tsukushi stopped her laughter finally and stood, heading to the kitchen. She returned with a ceramic urn and smiled mischievously as she set it in front of him.

"What is that?" Tsukasa asked suspiciously, leaning away from the urn. He was never going to touch poor people's food again, he promised himself, eying her warily.

Tsukushi opened the lid and a sweet smell filled the air. She reached into the urn with a clean pair of chopsticks and removed a thick purple disc, offering it to him. "Try this."

"What is it?" Tsukasa repeated, refusing to get closer to the unknown object he assumed was meant to be food.

"I collected these plums the last time I visited my parents in the countryside. A neighbor showed me how to pickle them in the local liquor." Tsukushi explained, still holding the offering to him.

"Really?" He asked, unsure about accepting the pickle. Hunger got the best of him, though, and he took it in his fingers reluctantly.

Tsukushi smiled encouragingly as he ate, laughing as his eyes lit up. "This is good!" He said, his obvious surprise not lost on Tsukushi.

"Of course it is," She sampled one of her own creations, pleased with her handiwork. He reached for the urn but she pulled it away, shaking her head. "Domyouji, these are pickled in sake – go easy on them, okay?"

Tsukasa stole another and chewed happily. Tsukushi wanted to scold him but his happy expression stopped her. "You better not complain about having a hangover in the morning." She teased and then looked to him seriously. "Are you truly planning on staying here tonight?"

Tsukasa nodded, speaking through a mouthful of food. "Yes." He said, looking around. "Where should I sleep?"

Tsukushi considered this for a moment, then proceeded carefully. "There are only two other rooms here – one for me and one for Susumu. I should have put you in with him but I didn't think of it before…" She looked to the closed sliding doors of her brother's room, hesitating.

"So I'll have to stay in your room?" Tsukasa finished what she couldn't say, looking her over carefully. He resisted a smile, touched by her modesty, something he had never seen from her before.

Tsukushi nodded awkwardly and looked to her lap. "I have an extra futon you can use. My room isn't very big, so I doubt you will be very comfortable…"

She trailed off as Tsukasa stood and walked down the small corridor to her room, flipping on the lights as he went. Tsukushi hurried behind him and began to pull the blankets from the closets, both his and her own, flatting them out as far as possible from each other on the tatami mats. She looked up to find Tsukasa gone and she saw the bathroom light on down the corridor. She settled herself into her pajamas and tucked herself into her futon, waiting uncomfortably for him to return.

"Can you please turn off the lights?" She asked quietly when he appeared in the doorway, the blankets pulled up to her chin. She didn't dare to move from the security of her futon.

Tsukasa obliged and reached up to pull off his shirt, then decided better of it until he'd settled into the blankets she'd laid out for him. In the darkness, hidden by the futon, he removed his shirt and belt, thinking it wise to leave his trousers on, despite how uncomfortable it might be to sleep in formal slacks.

Tsukushi tried not to glance at him in the darkness but she couldn't stop herself, eventually blurting out a question. "Domyouji, do you really think those thugs will come back?"

Tsukasa was surprised at the quiet fear in her voice and he tried to make his tone as comforting as possible. "You're perfectly safe. I'm sure they won't come back, but if they do, I'll take care of them."

Tsukushi smiled to no one in the dark, his macho attitude easing her trepidation. "Thank you, Domyouji…" She murmured, sleep beginning to tug at her eyelids.

Tsukasa did not reply as he lay still, contemplating the peculiarity of the situation. He'd never once noticed this girl during all of their years of school together and if Rui had not brought her into his life, who knew where he would be right now? He never would have guessed that he would find himself in her bedroom, sleeping on a futon that smelled faintly of her soap, with her brother snoring softly in the next room. Part of him was oddly content to lay in Tsukushi's small room, listening to the rustlings of her blankets as she moved. If he reached out his arm, he was sure he would be able to touch her, and it took an immense amount of will to stop himself from doing just that. Unlike her, he was not the least bit sleepy. He felt it was his job to watch over her tonight, to protect her from whatever she openly feared, and he felt needed, wanted for qualities that came so easily to him.

He didn't know why part of him suddenly felt so attached to Makino Tsukushi, why he was so concerned for her happiness and safety – just as he had felt the night she'd been attacked in Rui's office. His mind kept jumping to a certain emotion, a rationalization of why he cared so much for her, but he knew the words would not leave his lips easily, even if he was beginning to understand what it meant to love someone. As her breath slowed gradually into sleep, he realized his place was there with her and he suddenly recalled the feeling of her body against his as she had cried, his chest warming as if she was lying there with him. Tsukasa pulled the covers tighter around his body and rolled over on his side, turning to face Tsukushi's body, drawing nearer to her. The distant noises of Tokyo outside disappeared into a constant hum, deadened by the calming sound of their soft breaths, and a quiet descended, blanketing two people entirely dependent on one another in silent darkness.

**A Note From Me:** _Thank you everyone who has said that you love my story and have taken the time to slog through my long chapters. I know my writing is wordy and often rambling but I truly am honored by the amount of you that have responded with your reviews. Thank you for taking time to read my work. I hope that I will not disappoint as I begin to wrap up the story._

_By the way, just wondering if anyone else is watching the Korean version of Hana Yori Dango? Check it out here: [ __http://wiki./Boys_Before_Flowers__ ] The show started airing January 5th. It's a little different, it's still addictive, I think. :-) It's definitely worth a watch, if you've got nothing better to do - if you can't tell, it's really starting to grow on me. If anyone wants to know where they can download it, just let me know._

**_A few notes to my reviewers:_**

_**angelofgig -** Thank you for your kind wishes. I did indeed have a wonderful time with my family. :-) I think you have a very good idea of how I myself view my characters (Rui and Tsukasa) and their relationship to Tsukushi. We seem to think alike when it concerns their feelings towards Ms. Makino. _

_**Betsy -** Please excuse my error regarding the amount of years that Japanese students attend high school. :) I thank you so much for bringing that to my attention. I'm afraid my writing reveals the very obvious fact that I went through the American high school system for four years. I appreciate you telling me, though... Being a teacher in Japan sounds like so much fun! I would love to do that._

_**bosk -** You are awfully attentive, making the connection of the chapter title and the chapter's results. I'm glad someone noticed. : ) That's a bad habit of mine... Lol, but at least it's better than just calling every chapter "Chapter 1", etc._

_**daydreamer writer -** Thank you for your review after 9 chapters. It's never too late to review - I'm grateful that you took the time to. :-) I often read stories and love them but forget or never get around to reviewing them, so don't worry about it. Just the fact that you've read these 9 chapters is more than enough for me._

_**Sevilarodin -** Actually, I've never said before what I base my story off of - the anime/manga or the drama. Well, let me try to explain this... Physically speaking, I picture the characters to be the actors that were in the Japanese version of the drama - Matsumoto Jun, Inoue Mao, Oguri Shun, the works. When I think of Domyouji Tsukasa, Matsumoto Jun's face automatically appears in my mind, simply because I adore that show so much. However, when I write their personalities, it's a mixture. I've read the entire manga and I try to write as closely to how the characters act in the manga, because no matter what, that is the real and true Hana Yori Dango. However, I also don't just want to copy Yoko Kamio's genius and so I try to work in my own quirks, so the characters tend to take on a little of me in them - Tsukushi's a little sillier, like me, and Tsukasa is a much gentler than he probably ever was. The character's personalities really are just a mish-mash of my imagination, I suppose. :-) Thank you for asking!_


	11. Beautiful People, Beautiful Lies

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Hana Yori Dango, which belongs entirely to Yoko Kamio-san. This story is purely a figment of my imagination.

**Chapter 11: Beautiful People, Beautiful Lies**

The minute Makino Tsukushi arrived at the party, picked up in a car sent over by Hanazawa Rui, she wanted to flee. When Rui had mentioned the party two nights before, he had failed to mention one fact: the party was being held at none other than at the headquarters of the Domyouji Group, hosted by Domyouji Tsukasa himself. That reality might not have been a problem had it not been for her history with her man of the evening, or, the mere fact that he had spent the night before at her apartment. The morning after he had slept in her room, she'd awoken to find him gone, having left no note or indication that he'd been there at all. Tsukushi knew she shouldn't be embarrassed – they'd done nothing but sleep, but she couldn't help but feeling hurt. He'd left his bedding folded, tidy and neat, but he had never called, nor picked up his phone the times she had called to confirm that he was indeed still alive. Tsukushi had given up on trying to contact him, settling for being angry at him instead.

She stepped out of the black town car into the cold night air, wishing she was anywhere but there. Even more so, she had arrived in the black dress he'd bought her, the silk confection hugging her ladylike curves even more tightly than she'd remembered. Tsukushi hurried up the tall steps to the building's entrance, stepping more daintily than she ever did, her small feet encased in a simple pair of satin heeled pumps. She had no idea where she was headed – Rui had only instructed her on how to get to the Domyouji Group, not how to find him.

A low voice called out her name and she turned to see Hanazawa Rui stepping out of the shadows of the building, he himself dark in a tuxedo, the bold color making him appear even taller than usual. She smiled, in grateful relief, stepping closer to him. "Hanazawa Rui," She called and his expression darkened. A swarm of bright lights suddenly surrounded her and she stumbled in her shoes, blinded by the sudden intrusion. Reporters came into focus, wielding cameras and large microphones. Rui found her hand in the crowd and pulled her out of the chaos, hurrying for the safety of the Domyouji Group's secured doors with her in tow.

Tsukushi tottered in behind Rui, looking behind them at the swarm that had gathered. "Hanazawa Rui, what's happening?"

Rui turned to frown at the reporters, displeasure written all over his features. "I'll explain later. I'm afraid our picture is going to be on the front page of the business section tomorrow morning…"

Tsukushi felt a warmth in her hand, only to find Rui's fingers still grasped onto hers tightly. She pulled away and dropped her hand to her side but before either could say anything, an elevator door opened and out stepped Domyouji Tsukasa.

Tsukushi looked to him nervously, for she had hoped not to see him by some miracle tonight, but Domyouji ignored her and looked to Rui. "Security just told me what happened. They're out back too – I've never seen so many reporters before." He glanced at the tinted windows, watching the reporters fruitlessly searching for a glimpse of Rui through the treated glass. "I'll have my security team escort you out of the underground entrance when it's time for you to leave."

Rui nodded and placed his hand on Tsukushi's back, pushing her forward. "Let's just enjoy the night until then, shall we?"

The elevator ride up to the building's penthouse was long and quiet. Tsukushi stood between the two men, barely able to breathe for fear she might disturb the silence. Rui's hand still rested on the small of her back, connecting them awkwardly, and to her left, Tsukasa's face looked troubled. He had yet to say anything to her, and she guessed that he was probably regretting associating with her, and her nervousness returned. The elevator doors opened into an elegant penthouse with wide views of Tokyo's night skyline and people mingled, immaculately dressed and coiffed.

Almost immediately, a familiar face caught her eyes, and she found Nakamaru Michiko looking back to her in obvious surprise. Michiko excused herself from her small group and hurried over to Tsukushi, bowing deeply to both Tsukasa and Rui. "Tsukushi-chan, I'm so glad to see you! Do you two mind if I borrow her?" Michiko hardly waited for the two men to answer before she began to pull Tsukushi away.

"Tsukushi-chan, what are you doing here?" Michiko asked quietly as she pulled the younger woman over to a large window, slipping a glass of wine into her hands.

Tsukushi looked to Michiko, surprised at her sudden change in attitude. She suddenly looked less friendly and Tsukushi began to wish she'd never left Rui. "Hanazawa Rui asked me but… I don't think I really belong here, do I? Rui said it was a simple office party but everyone looks like they're here with their husband or wife."

"Rui asked you?" Michiko echoed, stealing a glance back at Hanazawa Rui. Her old demeanor seemed to return and she smiled widely at Tsukushi. "Well, you're right about that. I'm here with my husband and he's being an awful bore. He ran into some of his golf buddies and all they're doing is talking about the best courses in Scotland. You can't believe how glad I was to see you…"

Tsukushi smiled a little as Michiko continued her small talk, sipping her wine absently. She began to feel more uncomfortable than ever.

* * *

"Who is that woman?" Mimasaka Akira asked, part of a certain group of four curiously watching Tsukushi from across the room. The four men stood separated from the crowd of people, drinking isolated from everyone else; they always felt most at ease in each other's company.

"Makino Tsukushi. My personal assistant," Rui answered him, slowly sipping on his drink.

"You asked your assistant to come with you tonight?" Akira looked to Rui incredulously, shaking his head. "Rui, the invitation said bring a date, not your staff."

Rui shrugged in response and Tsukasa watched him over the top of his drink. Perhaps Rui did consider her a date, Tsukasa realized, and his fingers tightened around his glass.

"Isn't she a little plain to be your assistant?" The fourth man in the group spoke, studying Tsukushi's profile. Nishikado Soujiro towered over the rest as tall as Rui did, his neatly trimmed jet black hair glistening beneath the lights. "Your assistants are usually much more… Well, you know."

"You mean the assistants my father chooses," Rui corrected him, finishing off his drink. He studied Tsukushi, his eyes drawn to her striking dress, and he followed the line of her neck languidly to her face. "I think she's rather cute - pretty, tonight."

"She does clean up nicely." Akira shot a glance to Tsukasa, who didn't notice. He had just recognized the girl from the day before, who had interrupted their shopping trip, but Akira decided it was best not to say anything just yet.

Oblivious, Tsukasa looked to Rui in annoyance. How he wanted to inform Rui of the part he'd played in the creation of such beauty. He held his tongue, though, instead glancing back to Tsukushi instead of putting Rui in his place. He watched as she excused herself from Michiko and stepped out of the room, disappearing from sight.

The other men eventually lost interest in speaking about Tsukushi and changed the subject. Tsukasa drained his drink and quietly excused himself, inconspicuously heading off in Tsukushi's direction. He found her exiting the women's toilets, adjusting her dress slightly.

"Don't you look lovely tonight." Tsukasa said quietly as he looked down to her, stopping her in her tracks. His good mood had been spoiled by Rui and he found himself wanting to share his anger with others.

Tsukushi looked to him, obviously thrown off by his irritable mood. She smoothed a few wrinkles from her skirt and looked away, trying to squeeze past him. She was in no mood to speak to him, if this was all he had to say to her after not even answering her phone calls. "Excuse me," She murmured, as she tried to step away from him.

Tsukasa stood in her way, though, and blocked her escape. She found herself backed into the wall and she raised her hands to distance herself from him. He reached out and ran the backs of his fingertips down her arms, causing her to shiver uncomfortably.

"What are you doing?" Tsukushi hissed, shrinking as far away as possible as she could from his nearing body. She struggled to move away, but he caught a hold of her arm. "Let me go, please," She frowned and pulled at her arm without any success.

"How did you do it?" Tsukasa watched her hawk-like, pulling her closer. "Did you do it when you two went to Sendai? Just what were you two up to? And then, you act like that with me… You must think you've accomplished something great, don't you, standing there in the dress I bought you."

Tsukushi's face fell and she could do nothing but stare at him in shock. What had she done? "Domyouji-" She began but he cut her off.

"Oh, don't thank me for the dress." Tsukasa chuckled, his fingers sliding down her shoulders, fondling with the silken straps of the dress. "It's serving its purpose quite beautifully…"

Tsukushi reached up quickly and delivered a hearty slap to his cheek. She pulled away from him roughly and stepped out of his reach. "Don't touch me," She threatened, wrapping her arms protectively around her waist. "I don't know what's gotten into you, Domyouji, but just because you slept in my home doesn't mean you have some perverted right to me."

Tsukasa raised his eyebrows and glanced around. "Aren't you speaking a little frankly, Makino? Why don't you just announce it to the whole party?"

"Just shut up, will you?" Tsukushi reached out with her purse and whacked him in the stomach. "What happened to you? You didn't even say goodbye last night. When I woke up, I didn't even find a note." Tsukushi's eyes pleaded with him to return to the man she'd seen the night before, a man who'd made her heart flutter and promised to protect her... Her words may have sounded inappropriate to the steady steam of people passing them by but she didn't seem to care.

Tsukasa looked away from her, moved by the honesty in her eyes, and began to feel remorseful for his actions. "I didn't want to wake you," He murmured, just barely above a whisper, slowly returning to himself.

"Oh yes, because writing a note is so damn noisy." Tsukushi spat, thoroughly angry at him. "I thought perhaps you had matured into someone who actually cared for others but I see you haven't grown a day since Eitoku." She looked to him in disgust and began to walk away. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes and she angrily brushed at them, willing herself not to cry in front of him. He was not worth her tears.

"Makino, stop." Tsukasa tried to stop her, his hand tugging at her elbow. She turned to shake him off, prying his fingers off of her arm one by one. "Makino – Makino, cut it out. I didn't want to wake you, honestly. I woke up and saw you there and I…"

Tsukushi hesitated for a moment, looking at him intently. "What, Tsukasa?" She asked quietly, refusing to drop his gaze. "You realized you made a mistake? Was it really that horrible for you to eat my food, sleep on my futon, and stay with me last night? Well, I'm sorry you were so inconvenienced, sir."

Tsukasa felt hurt by the anger in her voice but he refused to let go of her. If she walked away, she would think he was mad at her, but he felt like he just couldn't control himself… He couldn't help but remember her friendly attitude with Rui, letting him touch her and escort her to the party. He hadn't slept at all last night. He'd listened to her breathing and he'd begun to remember how she depended on Rui, how they acted together and he'd panicked. Tsukasa had left that morning afraid that he was giving his heart away to someone who didn't want it, and he ran away from her as fast as he could. But as he stood there holding her elbow, her large brown eyes searching him for the explanation he couldn't provide, he felt his resolve disappearing. He wanted to make her smile again, to hear her laugh, not make her cry.

"Makino." Tsukushi turned at the sound of Rui's voice and she turned to face him, her features frozen in shock. Rui took in her wide eyes and Domyouji's hold on her but he said nothing, ignoring Tsukasa completely as he trained his eyes on Tsukushi, who looked unexplainably flustered, as if Rui had caught them in the middle of something private.

Tsukushi instinctively pulled away from Tsukasa, stepping closer to Rui. Rui continued to watch them silently, glancing over to Tsukasa. "Thank you for taking the time to look after her." He waved a hand to Tsukushi, motioning for her to come to him. "Makino, I'd like to talk to you."

Tsukushi stepped to his side, avoiding Tsukasa's eyes, and Rui's hand once again found its way to her back, though this time the gesture seemed almost possessive. She did not see the rather pointed look Rui sent to Tsukasa, who watched him crossly but said nothing in return. Rui's intentions were unclear but the look he gave Tsukasa spoke volumes clearly between the two.

* * *

"I'm sorry for interrupting you." Rui said quietly into her ear, without giving her a moment to explain herself as he led her back into the party. "But I have something urgent to tell you. Those reporters earlier were looking for me because four hours ago someone removed a very important file from my office and left it at the doorstep of one of our rival companies, the JD Group."

Tsukushi's mind flashed to the memory of being surrounded by the reporters and she raised a hand to her mouth nervously, wondering if he was beginning to suspect her. She recalled the trip he'd sent her on three months before to the same company, file in hand, as she delivered papers on an errand for him.

Read read her body language and shook his head impatiently. "No, I know it wasn't you. You, I trust… But it has to be someone who works near us. That file is very important, Makino, and I must get it back before it is released fully to the press."

"May I ask what it is?" Tsukushi asked quietly, looking suspiciously around the room. "Or is it confidential?"

"It may not be confidential if we don't get it back." Rui frowned, reaching spontaneously for a tall glass of liquor from a passing waiter. "It involves a rather personal matter. A few years ago, my father had tried to expand his business by buying a large office building in Shinjuku. But then he hit hard times and the building burned down at the peak of its construction…"

Tsukushi watched him intently as he spoke and knew immediately what he was implying. "It wasn't an accident, was it?" She asked delicately.

Rui shook his head, his face betraying the shame he held inside. "Without that insurance policy on the building, the company would have had to liquidate almost fifteen percent of our assets. The money off of the settlement came at quite a convenient time."

Tsukushi keen lawyer's intuition prickled and she felt her questions piling up. "Who took the blame?" She murmured quietly, looking to him. She knew enough to know that someone would have had to take the blame in case the truth surfaced.

Rui took a long sip of his drink and to her surprise, confided in her fully. "My uncle. He had built up some debts to my father and so the Hanazawa family collected on them…"

"And the file details all of this?" Tsukushi asked, unable to believe that the Hanazawa family would keep such a precious document right in plain sight.

Rui chuckled humorlessly. "Do give us some credit, Makino. The file says none of this outright but in the wrong hands, assumptions can be made. We had no choice but leave it in the company's records – it's part of our business transactions and if we were ever audited, it would cause greater harm if it was missing."

"What are you going to do?" Tsukushi asked reluctantly. It made her uncomfortable to think Hanazawa Rui was involved in illegal dealings but then again, it was his family, not necessarily he himself. She didn't want to help further the mess but she knew that if the matter was exposed, he would be held accountable as the current CEO.

"We've got to get that file back immediately." Rui informed her, guiding her to a different part of the room as random people got too close to them. "The only reason I know is because an old friend of my father intercepted the file before it could reach the wrong people. I would go get it myself but my presence there would be too conspicuous."

"Me?" Tsukushi realized what he was implying, pointing to herself. "You want me to go get it?"

Rui nodded. "Tomorrow, if you can. Unfortunately, your cover is blown, thanks to the reporters downstairs but maybe if we hurry, we can the file back before that matters."

Tsukushi considered his offer for a moment, for she knew if she refused, he wouldn't mention the matter ever again. A glint of black caught her eyes and she found herself looking into the face of Domyouji Tsukasa, as he stood brooding, his eyes trained on her alone, and she suddenly felt guilty. "What time do I leave?" She asked Rui, looking to him pointedly, avoiding Tsukasa's gaze. For some reason, she felt she had to protect Hanazawa Rui. He had shown her kindness, even if not at first, unlike someone who's emotions were seemingly less constant. Tsukasa not only made her heart ache – he made her realize how unsure she was of his intent.

Rui looked to her with a gentle smile. "Thank you, Makino." Rui glanced around the party, his eyes resting on Tsukasa, and he abruptly reached for her hand. Tsukushi looked down in surprise to find their fingers intertwined. Rui gently squeezed her fingers and she found it infinitely strange to hold his hand. "Why don't you go get your coat? I'm afraid I can't stand staying here anymore. I'll drop you off at home on my way, if you'd like."

Tsukasa watched as she nodded and stepped out of the room, his mind unable to remove itself from the image of them murmuring to each other and holding hands. Rui got her hand but he got her scorn, which, after his behavior, he knew he deserved. A dull ache inside of him made Tsukasa almost nauseous and it took all of his strength to stop himself from running after her. Instead, Tsukasa made his way across the room and found himself in front of Rui, who met his dark glance with one of his own.

"Can I speak to you for a moment, Rui?" Tsukasa asked, his fists clenched at his sides.

* * *

Tsukushi walked slowly to the coatroom, wringing her hands together, frowning to herself as she ambled along. She had been surprised when Rui had taken her hand – when he had offered to drop her home, she would have likely said yes to anything, just to put some distance between him and her. Had she given Rui the wrong idea? Tsukushi mentally kicked herself, wondering what sort of mess she had gotten herself into. Tsukasa seemed to hate her and Rui wasn't acting like his usual self – could the evening get any worse?

She pushed the door to the coatroom open, stepping inside and quietly closing the door behind her as she heard two voices speaking. She walked amongst the tall rows of coats, hung on large towers that spanned floor to ceiling, searching for any sign of her own. The room was immensely large and overdone (what didn't the Domyouji family overdo, though?) and she could hardly see the door anymore, much less the people speaking. Rounding around one of the coat towers, Tsukushi found herself looking at a couple off in the distance, and her eyebrows raised in surprise as she found Nakamaru Michiko standing there. The man she was with, though, was not the boorish husband she had arrived with but rather a tall, striking man, who was speaking with a raised tone. Tsukushi immediately ducked behind the coats to hide, realizing she'd stumbled in on them in the middle of an argument.

She was just about to turn and flee, abandoning her coat momentarily for the sake of propriety, when their conversation stopped her. Michiko laughed at the man's angry tone, and Tsukushi heard the rustle of papers.

"I can trust you to deal with these properly, can't I?" Michiko said with a chuckle, but her voice was oddly serious. "I don't want any more repeats of what happened last time. If I give you something as important as this, you better make sure it's given to the right people."

"It was given to the right people last time," The man glared at her, and Tsukushi peeked around the coats to see him accept a large envelope of documents. "You just never gave me anything worthwhile. After all that bragging, what you stole turned out to be trash – it wasn't anything worth reporting to him."

Michiko raised her hand to slap the man, obviously irritated by him calling her efforts trash, but he laughed and shoved her arm away. "What did you have to do to earn the boss's trust to get into this position? You must have pulled a lot of late nights trying to convince him, didn't you?"

Michiko let out a cry of pain as his hand rebuffed her attack easily, holding her arm to her body with a deadly glare. "When this goes through, you're going to be the first one I get rid of. Even before we destroy Hanazawa Rui, I'm going to make you pay for every stupid remark you've ever made to me."

Tsukushi's eyes widened as she heard the woman mention Rui, swallowing deeply. She needed to escape before they noticed her, but curiosity wouldn't let her leave.

"Do you think this is going to do it?" The man held up the thick envelope, looking to Michiko with a strangely excited look. "Did you actually manage to get your hands on something good this time?"

"I took that straight from official company records." Michiko said proudly, scoffing at the man's disbelief. "Once this is leaked, he'll have no choice but to resign, and he and his father will be ruined."

Tsukushi finally realized she needed to leave before the situation got any worse and she abandoned the thought of finding her coat. She began to tiptoe to the door, hiding amongst the coats, when a noise interrupted the quiet room. Eyes wide with terror, Tsukushi realized her mobile phone was calling out to her, ringing just audibly enough to travel through the room, and she scrambled to open her purse and turn it off.

Her fingers had just grasped the phone when a hand pulled her back by her shoulder and she fell against a rack of coats, looking up in fear into the face of the unidentified man. Michiko scrambled into sight behind him, and when she saw Tsukushi, her face paled and she looked the man.

"You know what to do," Michiko said, nervously glancing back at Tsukushi before she ran off, disappearing beyond the coats. Tsukushi heard the door open and close, terrified as Michiko ran away and she lay trapped with the man.

"Little miss, I think you know what you need to do." The man neared her and Tsukushi backed away uncomfortably, falling further into the coats. "I think you know that you need to keep your mouth shut, don't you?"

Tsukushi's eyes darted around nervously, searching for a way to escape, and a cry caught in her throat as the man casually pulled an object from his pocket, the dark shiny steel of a knife stopping her voice. The man reached out for her, painfully yanking her to her feet and began to drag her out of the room.

"We're just to step outside for a little while, miss." The man said with a smile, and Tsukushi felt the need to comply with him, as he slipped the knife up his sleeve and out of sight, though she knew he wouldn't hesitate to use it. He led her from the coat room and out to the hallway, heading for the stairwell, and she struggled to keep up with his pace.

Her heart sank as she found the two of them alone, the door to the party closing ominously behind them with a loud creak, and Tsukushi resisted as he began to prod her to move down the stairs. Swiftly, she reached out with her foot and kicked his shin as hard as she could, scrambling to reach for the knife as he stumbled in pain. She threw the knife down the stairway, the metallic blade clanging on the railings as it fell down flights of stairs and out of sight. Tsukushi turned to run, every muscle poised to escape, but his hand shot of out nowhere, grabbing a thick handful of her hair, yanking her backwards into him as she screamed out in pain.

* * *

Nishikado Soujiro had run out of people he actually wanted to speak to and he headed inconspicuously for the coat room to retrieve his items and slip out before Tsukasa could notice his absence. He hadn't even wanted to come tonight but Akira had practically kidnapped him, just for company's sake. Soujiro reached up to loosen his tie, shaking his head as he smiled, wondering how long it would take Akira to notice he'd skipped the party. Just as he reached the doors to the coatroom, they opened before him and a couple hurried out, hastily sweeping past him. The man's shoulder bumped into Soujiro and he turned, ready to call him on his rude mannerisms, when the female caught his attention. He recognized the girl immediately as Makino Tsukushi, the personal assistant Rui had brought with him, and he was surprised to see her leaving with the other guest in a rush, as if there was an emergency

Soujiro's eyes followed Tsukushi, despite his initial instinct to ignore her, watching intently as she allowed herself to be led from the room by the strange man. He glanced around, searching for reinforcements, but found none: Akira had disappeared, as had Rui and Tsukasa. He set down his glass of wine and swiftly set off in pursuit of her, maintaining a safe distance between them, trailing the two as the man led her to towards the stairs. He watched curiously, noticing the strange way Tsukushi carried herself, struggling to remain as far away from the man as possible. The man held firmly onto her, though, his fingers gripping her arm tightly, and her face betrayed the pain she felt at his touch. The complete silence in which they traveled intrigued Soujiro and as the man opened the door to the stairway, Soujiro waited just outside, pressing his ear to the door as he tried to determine what it was they were doing.

Strange scuffling noises emerged after a few moments, and he threw open the door at the sound of what he recognized as a struggle, only to find the stairwell vacant. Footsteps below caught his ear and he hurried forward to inspect the scene, halting in his tracks as a loud, feminine scream echoed upwards, reverberating in the cavernous stairway.

* * *

"What do you want, Tsukasa?" Rui asked blankly, following his friend as the two stepped out into the cold night, leaving the party behind. Tsukasa had led him out onto a secluded balcony away from the crowds, refusing to barely speak to him, and Rui's mind was back with Tsukushi, who he knew was waiting for him.

Tsukasa breathed in deeply, swiftly turning to look at Rui, his expression stormy. "Rui," He hesitated, almost unable to voice his question. "Rui, why did you bring Makino here tonight?"

Rui looked to him surprise. "Why not?" He asked, leaning against a wall, studying Tsukasa's tense posture.

"Are you interested in her?" Tsukasa blurted out, unable to control himself.

Rui chuckled, glancing off over Tsukasa's shoulder. "Why do you want to know, Tsukasa?" He fully knew why Tsukasa was asking but for some reason he wanted to push him a little, make him suffer some. "Are you?"

"I-I asked you first!" Tsukasa rebuffed his question, his voice rising loudly. "Rui, tell me the truth. Are you interested in-"

"Yes." Rui interrupted him, glancing to him. Tsukasa could do nothing but stare at him, unable to accept that his worst fears were confirmed. "I am interested in her. Satisfied?"

"You-" Tsukasa couldn't control himself anymore and he threw his fist out, aiming for Rui's face. Rui neatly ducked his advances and reached out, shoving Tsukasa violently away from him. Tsukasa stumbled back, catching himself on the balcony railing.

"Stay away from her." Rui said suddenly, stepping closer to Tsukasa. "I saw how you treated her earlier. What the hell do you think you're doing, Tsukasa?" He growled, his voice dangerously low.

Tsukasa suddenly began to laugh, spurred on by Rui's blatant display. "I don't know, Rui. But I don't think she feels the same way you do," He glared at him angrily. "I slept at her apartment last night. Has she even let you in yet?"

Rui's fist collided with his jaw before Tsukasa could react and he fell to the ground, barely managing to catch him. Rui stood over him, his fist still clenched, and Tsukasa scrambled to his feet, grabbing out for Rui, pulling him by his jacket. "What the hell do you think you're doing!" Tsukasa yelled, reaching back to punch Rui.

Rui fell back, immediately reeling forward to deliver a hard blow to Tsukasa's stomach.

Tsukasa threw him down to the ground and Rui wheezed, spitting blood. "Stay away from her…"

"What-if-I-don't?" Tsukasa pulled himself over Rui, punching his stomach with quick, swift jabs, punctuating every word with a hit.

Rui gave up trying to push Tsukasa off of him and instead knocked him away with a sharp strike to the jaw, tossing him off of him roughly. "I warned you," He reached down, stumbling onto his own two feet, and pulled Tsukasa to his by the collar of his shirt. "I warned you," He repeated, drawing his words out slowly, his eyes dreadfully serious.

Tsukasa responded with a punch to Rui's face, landing a hard right hook to his eye, and Rui cried out, raising his hand to give one Tsukasa to match. The two fell over, unbalanced in their rage, exchanging angry words, blood flowing from their lips, bruises forming on their faces. Both refused to relent, friendship thrown to the wind momentarily, exchanging pain and rage.

* * *

Tsukushi screamed, struggling to break from the hands wrapping around her arms, steel muscles pulling her back, and she clawed at the attacker, desperate to escape. He lost his grip on her temporarily and her feet lost their footing. The two tumbled down a flight of stairs, her shoes falling off, her legs hitting every step on the way down. Her bones felt as if they were being crushed, the air pushed out of her lungs by the weight of a full grown man's body colliding with hers as they plummeted towards the landing. The man toppled on top of her and she pushed him away the moment her body slammed into solid ground, his head thudding into the wall, and she crawled from underneath him.

Stumbling to her feet, Tsukushi began to drag herself towards the stairs, her body screaming in pain with every movement. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the man regaining his wits and her legs began to move beneath her, taking off a run down the stairs. She ran blindly, her hair whipping around her face, her body staggering towards safety. The man managed to catch up to her, slipping on the rubber coated steps on the way down, knocking into her every so often, tripping her off balance. His hands grasped for her, grabbing any part he could reach, tangling up in her hair, and she ran faster, gasping for breath as she slowly began to distance herself from him.

Her mind flitted back to the party, desperately wishing that someone had noticed her disappearance, but no one was coming to her aid and she knew her survival depended on her alone. With a loud bang, she burst through the doors leading to the lobby and dashed across the smooth marble floor, putting more and more distance between her and certain help with every step. Her hands shoved the glass doors open and she flung out of the doorway into the dark night, with the pursuer on her heels, distancing herself from anyone who could save her.


	12. When In Need

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Hana Yori Dango, which belongs entirely to Yoko Kamio-san. This story is purely a figment of my imagination.

**Chapter 12: When In Need**

Fear inspired power.

Makino Tsukushi's legs ached, her lungs burning from the exhaustion of running down countless stairs, but she couldn't stop running. Fear spurred her forward, propelling her out of the front doors of the Hanazawa Corporation and into the cold night. Her bare feet scrambled across the pavement, down the front steps, and towards the sidewalk. Loud footsteps echoed off of the concrete walk, the sole's of a man's shoes racing to catch up with her. Gasping for breath, Tsukushi took a chance and darted across the street, taking advantage of a lapse in traffic.

Tsukushi looked desperately for a place to hide, a place to escape, but no such place surfaced. All of the businesses were locked up, their lights turned off, and hardly any cars were on the street. Tears of frustration strung her eyes and she felt cramps developing in her calves; soon, not even fear would be able to sustain her pace. She sprinted around a corner, ready to head across the street into a dark park, when the sound of squealing tires caught her attention.

Turning to look over her shoulder, she stared in horror as two cars screeched to a halt behind her. The vehicle's doors swung open and men began to spill out of them, headed straight for her. In her lapse of attention, Tsukushi's toe caught a bump in the sidewalk and she felt herself falling to the ground, her cheek colliding with the rough concrete. Hands began to tug at her before she could pull herself up again, doing the work for her as the men pulled her to her feet.

"Let me go!" Tsukushi yelled, lashing her hands out, beating whatever she could hit. The men pulled her arms tightly to her waist, holding her kicking and thrashing body down with frightening ease. A hand appeared holding a folded handkerchief, forcing it over her nose and mouth, and Tsukushi felt her stomach lurch as a sickly sweet smell filled her lungs. Still kicking, she struggled to resist breathing in the drugged fumes, but the more she struggled, the more tired she became. Her eyes began to close as she unwillingly breathed, her lungs sucking in the air as her body rebelled in a desperate attempt to survive.

Tsukushi felt herself being carried towards the vehicles in her daze, rough hands grasping her limbs tightly, and tears ran freely down her cheeks. Suddenly the hands loosened, then gave way, and her body plummeted to the ground. The jarring impact of her fall bruised her and a horrific pain from her left arm jolted her out of her drugged haze. She looked up the see the group of men dispersing, running around in confusion, as a single figure disturbed the crowd.

Tsukushi's eyes struggled to focus and she squinted at the stranger, unable to believe whom she was seeing. "Nishikado-san?" She whispered in disbelief, her eyes wide as she realized the identity of her savior. Nishikado Soujiro battled his way through the men, heading to her, blood trickling from his mouth as he punched and kicked his way through with astonishing strength. Men fell in front of him and Tsukushi hurried to pull herself to meet him, but her limbs still felt heavy, her body too tired to move.

"Makino!" Soujiro yelled, struggling to get a good look at her. "Get up!" He yelled, shoving men out of his way, running to her fallen body.

Immediately, he realized she could not lift herself and he scooped her off the ground, racing off to a parked car in the distance. Hands still grabbed for her and he only stopped to open the passenger door of his car and push her into the seat, locking the door behind him. He raced to the driver's side and scrambled in, hurrying to start the vehicle as men began to surround them. Soujiro revved the engine and slammed his foot on the accelerator; men scattered from the car, hurrying to save themselves, and Tsukushi attempted to sit up as he sped off down the street.

"Are you alright, Makino?" Soujiro looked to her worriedly as he wove in and out of traffic, hurrying to distance them from her attackers. ""Makino – can you hear me?"

Tsukushi nodded, her vision foggy, and she jumped when she felt his hand shaking her shoulder.

"Makino!" His voice sounded distant, so quiet, but she could hear sincere urgency in his voice. "Makino, you have to stay awake, okay? Makino, come on, stay awake…"

"Yes." Tsukushi muttered, her eyes closing despite her best efforts to keep them open. "I'm awake…"

She looked over to Soujiro, her eyes drawn to the blood running down his chin and she suddenly felt afraid for him, worried about the pain she had caused him. Soujiro, however, was focused on driving, the car speeding through packed streets at an alarming pace. One hand grasped the wheel, the other his mobile phone, and Tsukushi resisted sleep as she heard his voice calling out familiar names, her attention focusing as she realized he was talking to Rui. Smiling to herself foolishly, her eyes closed and she didn't feel Soujiro's hand on her anymore, didn't hear his voice calling her name…

* * *

Tsukushi felt every part of her body ache, a numbing pain in her stomach at the center of it all, that every hurt seemed to resonate from. For the next several hours, she passed in and out of darkness, the only light she could recall coming in the company of horrible stomach cramps. Her body trembled, and she remembered vomiting until she had emptied her stomach and only retched up water. Finally, her eyes opened willingly, welcoming the faint light of early morning.

Her eyelashes fluttered open to find herself in an unfamiliar room and fear immediately gripped her. She sat up abruptly, ignoring the queasy feeling in her stomach, and a cry caught in her throat as a pair of firm hands grasped her shoulders. Her head whipped around and she found herself looking into the eyes of Nishikado Soujiro, kind eyes that crinkled into a smile, and he gently guided her back against a nest of pillows. Looking down, she realized she was lying in a bed, starchy white sheets itchy against her bare legs.

"Shh." Soujiro murmured soothing noises, releasing her only after she had settled reluctantly against the pillows. His eyes regarded her with a friendly kindness and Tsukushi was confused to find him next to her, as despite their encounter last night, they were still somewhat strangers.

"Where – where am I?" Tsukushi was startled to find her throat painfully sore, her voice low and hoarse. Her eyes flitted around the room, taking in the complicated equipment by her bed, which connected to an IV in her arm, the pale pink wallpaper, and two sleeping figures in a corner of the room.

Hanazawa Rui and Domyouji Tsukasa sat on two overstuffed chairs, Rui's head resting comfortably on Tsukasa's shoulder. The two slept in comical silence, covered by one blanket. Tsukushi couldn't help but smile as she observed the blanket, most of which was pulled over Tsukasa, who held onto it tightly, while Rui had attempted to get underneath it as well. It had obviously been a struggle beneath the two over custody rights of the blanket throughout the night and in true Tsukasa style, he has stolen it and Rui had lost.

"They've been there all night." Soujiro followed her gaze to the two, chuckling to himself. "You can't tell but it's actually Rui's blanket – Tsukasa just refused to share."

Tsukushi looked to Soujiro again, her questions still unanswered, though, judging by the IV in her arm, she could already guess where they had brought her.

"You fainted last night." Soujiro explained, leaning back into his chair. A blanket lay rumpled on his lap and from his position in the chair next to her bed, she surmised that he too had been there all night. "I brought you to the hospital. I'm sure you don't remember but when you woke up, you became extremely sick; the doctors could not make you stop for a long time. Those two threatened to fire half of the staff who were watching over you and kill the rest, since nothing would make you better."

Tsukushi lowered her eyes, embarrassed by Soujiro's playful tone, and bowed her head. "Please excuse all of the trouble I have caused you… I'm terribly sorry."

Soujiro chuckled and shook his head. "Don't be foolish. I'm glad you're feeling better. It was a long night." His statement was punctuated by a yawn, as if to reinforce his point, and she noted the dark circles beneath his eyes, as if he hadn't slept much either.

"Makino."

The two looked up in surprise at Tsukasa's voice, who was staring at them with an unreadable expression. Next to him, Rui stirred, lifting his head lazily from Tsukasa's shoulder, pulling the blanket to him possessively. Yawning widely, Rui sat up and looked to Tsukushi, smiling quietly.

"Morning, Makino."

Tsukushi shyly returned his smile, watching them curiously. Both sported black eyes and cuts on their lips, and Tsukushi's eyes widened as she surmised they must have been attacked as well. "No – how – what happened? How did they find you?"

"Makino, it's alright." Soujiro's voice interrupted her and she turned to him, noticing for the first time the bruises and cuts marring his beautifully kind face. Guilt washed over her as she remembered him saving her from harm, and tears began to fall down her cheeks.

"Makino!" Tsukasa scrambled to his feet as the sight of her weeping and hurried over to her, gingerly reaching out for her. "What's wrong? Do you feel sick again? Where does it hurt?"

Tsukushi shook her head, the tears falling harder. "Because of me… You… Hurt... Everyone…" Sobs shook her shoulders, hiccups interrupting her speech, and she buried her face in her hands. Her heart ached now, her body too tired to resist the overwhelming wave of emotions.

Tsukasa breathed a sigh of relief and he reached up to stroke her hair absently, glad she wasn't sick again. "Makino, don't cry… Come on, don't cry… Your face is getting all puffy. We're perfectly fine, aren't we?" He glanced around to the boys, exchanging a smile with Soujiro, his gaze not quite meeting Rui's. "Now stop it, Makino. You look funny when you cry."

"Shut – shut up." Tsukushi hiccupped, chuckling despite herself, a throaty wet laugh, and a cough caught in her throat. The soreness in her throat began to act up again and she felt the queasiness return to her stomach.

"I'll get the doctor." Rui hurried for the door as Tsukushi's body contracted and she curled up in pain, unable to speak as her body twinged in distress.

Tsukasa sat on the bed and held her crumpled body delicately, murmuring into her hair as he embraced her. "You're fine, Makino. You'll be okay…"

A doctor hurried through the door, followed by Rui, who stopped at the sight of Tsukasa holding Tsukushi, his steps slowing as his eyes darkened. The doctor pulled Tsukushi from Tsukasa and held a cup of liquid to her mouth, forcing her gently to drink it. Tsukushi made a face but swallowed nonetheless, reaching eagerly for the cup of water that the doctor offered afterwards.

"Makino-san, please calm down." The doctor said evenly, observing her carefully. "Everything's all right now."

"What wrong with me?" Tsukushi breathed heavily, swallowing the water slowly, finding even that difficult to do.

"You're recovering from an allergic reaction to liquid chloroform." The doctor explained, patting her hand reassuredly. He was a kind faced elderly gentleman, his smiling eyes hidden behind a pair of gold rimmed glasses. "Whoever tried to abduct you last night attempted to drug you and I'm afraid your body reacted in a most violent way. I don't suppose you remember much of last night, do you, my dear?"

Tsukushi shook her head slowly, her hand idly touching her stomach. "I think I remember enough." She said wryly, closing her eyes as the memories flooded back.

"Shouldn't she be better by now?" Rui interrupted the conversation, concern written plainly over his face. "Makino's been here all night and she's still not recovering."

"I'm afraid this will take some time to pass." The doctor stood, looking to Tsukushi sympathetically. "Makino-san seems to have taken this very hard. We'll need to observe her for a few days, until all of this has passed. I'll check on you in a little while. For now, though, you seem to be in good hands." The doctor smiled at the three men, excusing himself.

"Makino," Tsukasa began gently, reaching for her hand. "What exactly happened last night?"

Tsukushi frowned and glanced around, trying to collect her thoughts. "I left Rui and went to find my coat… I saw Michiko-san standing in the coatroom with a man and she was handing him a large envelope. She was bragging about how it would ruin the company," Tsukushi paused, looking to Rui worriedly. "She said she had taken it from company records and if it was released, Hanazawa Rui would be forced off of the board of directors."

The boys looked to Rui, exchanging a serious glance, and he sighed. "What happened after that?" Rui prodded Tsukushi to continue, choosing not to address what she had said just yet.

"My phone rang." Tsukushi recalled. "And they saw me. I tried to run away but the man caught me and pulled me out of the party, into the stairwell. He began to tell me if I said anything, he would make me regret it." She shuddered, an unpleasant feeling overwhelming her. "I was afraid and I ran away, but he followed me… And then, Nishikado-san appeared. He saved me." Tsukushi bowed her head to him again, her voice thick. "Thank you. Thank you very much."

Soujiro simply smiled, patting her head affectionately. They may not have known each other well but her gratitude moved him. "If I hadn't been there, one of these fools would have come." He looked to Rui and Tsukasa, looking pointedly to them, knowing of their exchange.

The two exchanged guilty looks, recalling where they had been in Tsukushi's time of need, ashamed of themselves. Tsukushi seemed not to notice and she lay her head back against the cushions, her eyes suddenly tired. Tsukasa pulled the blankets over her exhausted body, tucking her in, and the three said no more, resuming their guard over her as she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Tsukushi woke to the sound of the clink of ceramics, opening her eyes to find only Soujiro in the room, standing next to a table and whisking liquid in a bowl. She watched as he methodically poured the frothy green liquid from bowl to bowl, swishing it with an expert hand.

He seemed to sense her eyes on him and he turned to her, grinning as he found her awake. "Did you sleep well?" He asked, coming to her side, holding a large ceramic bowl in hand. She nodded and he helped her to sit up, handing her the bowl as he moved to sit in his chair once again.

"I've made you some tea." Soujiro motioned for her to drink, "It's good for your health. It should help you regain your strength, so please drink it."

Tsukushi gingerly took a sip of the green liquid and nearly choked, displeased by the extremely bitter taste. "Are you sure this is good for my health?" She asked jokingly, looking to the cup hesitantly, unwilling to take a second sip.

Soujiro chuckled. "It goes down easier after awhile, I promise. The tea is from up north, where my family grows tea specifically for our own tea ceremonies and special occasions. It's a well known remedy for aiding in recovery, so please drink it all."

Tsukushi nodded her thanks with a wrinkle of her nose and drained the cup swiftly to be polite. He was wrong – it tasted worse the more she drank. She eagerly handed the cup back to him, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Um, yes, I think I do feel a bit better now… Oh, yes, that was delicious."

Soujiro held in a laugh at her lie, accepting the cup. "They stepped out for a few moments." He explained, referring to the other two. "Rui's been trying to track down Nakamaru Michiko since last night. As for Tsukasa, he ordered food to be brought for you but when the doctors refused to let it into the hospital, he went to deal with them in person."

Tsukushi rolled her eyes, only imagining the fit Tsukasa must be throwing at being refused. Suddenly remembering something, she bit her lip anxiously. "Nishikado-san, I live with my brother. He must be wondering where I've gone-"

"Tsukasa already took care of that." Soujiro reassured her, drinking tea from his own cup. "Last night Akira picked him up from your apartment and has been guarding your home ever since. Last I checked, Akira said your brother was doing well, and both send their best regards."

Tsukushi nodded, looking to her hands in embarrassment. "I'm so horribly sorry, Nishikado-san. I've caused you all so much trouble."

"Makino," Soujiro leaned forward, looking to her intently. "Excuse me for being frank with you but there's something I must say. You may not know Rui and Tsukasa well enough to fully understand them, so I would not be surprised if you've never noticed their odd behavior. I've never seen the both of them behave the way they have been towards you."

Tsukushi looked to him blankly, unsure of how to reply. "What are you trying to say, Nishikado-san?" She asked quietly, trying to question him as politely as she could.

"Tsukasa's never shown kindness to any girl before, not in a serious manner, anyway. Yet, last night he ran all over this hospital, demanding that any doctor he could find come immediately and make you better." Soujiro paused, glancing off somewhere in the distance, sparing her the embarrassment of meeting her eyes. "As for Rui, he's hardly interested in anyone besides us, much less strangers who work for him. But when he heard you'd been injured, he arrived just a few minutes after we did and refused to let you out of his sight the whole night. Do you understand what I'm saying, Makino?"

Tsukushi swallowed deeply, frowning as she looked to her lap, wringing her fingers absently. "Nishikado-san, I don't quite understand what it is you're trying to tell me…"

"Makino, I'm not chastising you." Soujiro's voice was calm, encouraging even. "You have transformed two idiots into men worth something since you've met them. But you have to understand that both of them are struggling to protect you, Makino, and you've got to decide."

"Decide?" Tsukushi looked to him confusedly, her eyes crinkled in concern. "Nishikado-san, I don't know what you're thinking but I-"

Soujiro stood suddenly, setting down his tea with a firm note of finality. "Both of them are good men, Makino. You have to choose who needs you the most." His eyes met hers and she realized he was not scolding her; he simply wanted to protect those dear to him. He bowed his head and left the room, leaving her to languish in her confused thoughts.

* * *

Unfortunately, the three boys could not keep Tsukushi company forever. Soujiro was the first to leave, needed at his family's estate to conduct a tea ceremony, and then Rui, mysteriously coming and going without saying much as to where. Tsukasa was the only one who seemed to sneak in a few minutes between his company meetings and urgent matters, staying by her even if she was asleep and didn't recognize his company. Susumu was being safeguarded by Akira, so Tsukushi couldn't even find relief in him, for the F4 was afraid that Michiko was watching her brother. They refused to grant her brother contact with Tsukushi to avoid leading the enemy directly to her hospital bed and thus Tsukushi found herself often alone over three days, recovering slowly in her private room.

On the morning of the fourth day, she woke up in the dimly lit room, dreading the thought of another day alone with nothing else to do but watch television and eat her meals. A strangely heavy warmth weighed down her legs and she looked curiously to find a dark head resting on her lap, curly hair hiding identifying features. Her hand reached out and touched the soft curls, running her fingertips along the black locks, and she gently patted the head.

"Domyouji." She said softly, trying to wake him.

"Hmm?" His voice came deep, thick with sleep, and his body moved slightly as he stirred.

"Domyouji." Tsukushi repeated again, patting his head with a smile. "It's morning, Domyouji. Wake up."

Muttering deep in his throat, Tsukasa turned his head to face her, still resting on her lap. His eyelids drooped, half asleep, and he absently smiled at her. "Good morning, Makino. Did you sleep well?" He asked, his voice low and throaty. Tsukushi couldn't help but smile at the sound of his morning voice, a strange satisfaction tenderly overwhelming her as she saw that he had spent the whole night with her, one of his hands protectively clasping hers.

"Very well," Tsukushi looked to him affectionately, her fingers idly fluffing the curls on his head. His curly hair amused her deeply and he ignored her touch for her benefit, feeling sleepy once again as her hands stroked his hair.

"I knew it. You snored. Loudly." Tsukasa closed his eyes with a cheeky smile, laughing as her hand smacked his head and withdrew. He reached up with his free hand and grasped for hers, holding both of her hands in his firmly.

"Weren't you uncomfortable sleeping like that?" Tsukushi let him take her hands without contesting, her eyes traveling over his hunched body, which had spent the night in a chair pulled close to her bed.

"Mmm." Tsukasa shook his head a little, his eyes still closed. "I haven't slept this good in years."

Tsukushi scoffed, laughing softly. "Baka. You should have slept in your bed, at home. What are you doing here?" Her eyes rested momentarily on the lingering remains of the bruise around his eye, the cuts on his cheekbones and lower lip, and she felt her laughter subside.

"I didn't want you to be – to be alone," Tsukasa yawned widely, burying his face into her blankets. Tsukushi watched him silently, remembering how they'd last parted, how angry they'd been with each other the night of the party, and she tapped his head once again. "Tsukasa, are we okay now?"

Tsukasa said nothing in return, even though he knew what she was referring to, but he didn't want to acknowledge that night. He was ashamed of himself for lashing out at her like that, so ashamed for making her cry, and he chose to ignore her question, simply squeezing her fingers as he refused to move his head from her lap. "You can go home today. I spoke with the doctors last night when I arrived – you're free as of this morning."

Tsukushi sat up suddenly, wide awake. "Really? I can really go home?" She asked excitedly, pinching his cheeks and poking at his head. "Let's go then! C'mon, let's go-"

Tsukasa groaned, shielding his head from her hands. "Go back to sleep, Makino! I never should have told you. I'm tired-"

Tsukushi scowled, trying to tickle his ears and cheeks. "C'mon, Domyouji, I want to go home!"

Tsukasa reached up suddenly, grabbing her hands and held them down firmly, raising his sleepy self to face her. He glared at her and suddenly broke into a smile at her scowling face, reaching over to pinch her chin. "Makino." His tone suddenly became serious but the smile never left his face. Tsukushi stopped wiggling and looked to him, curious. "Makino, when it's time for you to go home, I'll take you home. I'll take you home, I promise…" His voice trailed off and she looked to him in surprise, not realizing the deeper implication of his words.

Tsukushi's lips slowly curved into an innocent smile and she leaned forward abruptly, wrapping her arms loosely around him. "Thank you, Domyouji." She whispered, her face buried in his shoulder. "Thank you for taking care of me. Thank you – for everything…"

Tsukushi was beginning to realize that she had made her choice. Her heart had chosen for her without much consideration and had acted impulsively, reaching out physically for him. She breathed in deeply, inhaling Tsukasa's scent, and rested her forehead against his collarbone. She felt safe as his arms wrapped around her, pulling her tightly against him, and she stifled a chuckle.

"Domyouji – hey, Domyouji – I can't breathe…"

Tsukasa refused to loosen his grasp, holding onto her determinedly. He was resolute – he would keep his promise. One day, when she fully accepted him, he would take her home. He would take her home…

**A Note From Me:** _Whew, these chapters are long! I feel like I've been working on these forever. I meant to update earlier but I haven't been feeling too good lately. Maybe it's the flu that's going around? Oh, I hope not. :(  
_

_Anyway, I was surprised to see a lot of you are interested in the Korean Hanadan, so I'll let you know where I'm downloading it from (just take out the spaces in the links):_

_[ aja - aja . c o m / regular / boys - before - flowers__ ] __- This has both subtitles and the raw files to download. They are not hardsubbed and the files are kind of large. _

_[ arashi . vox . c o m ] - The wonderful person who subs this show has hardsubbed the files and they are available in smaller file sizes for download. You can also watched the subbed videos on youtube here if you don't want to download._

_I hope that helps everyone! Enjoy! I am really loving the characters portrayal in the Korean version - especially the guy who is Domyouji! He's perfect for the part, I think. Let me know what you all think of it if you choose to watch it. I'd love to know everyone's opinions._


	13. Uninvited Advances

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Hana Yori Dango, which belongs entirely to Yoko Kamio-san. This story is purely a figment of my imagination.

**Chapter 13: Uninvited Advances**

Rush hour commutes on Tokyo trains were famously crowded.

Leaving Tokyo Station at a reasonable hour, Makino Tsukushi had found herself crammed into a train car with nearly a hundred other people, businessmen's briefcases banging into the back of her calves as the train sped from stop to stop beneath the streets of the city. At every stop more people pushed their way into the car, the amount leaving not equaling those entering. Uniformed men pushed the people into the cars just before the doors dinged shut, their white gloves pressing against backs in a strange sense of informality that the Japanese rarely dabbled in, as the commuters struggled to rearrange themselves to accommodate the new entries.

Tsukushi felt a feeling of nausea begin to form in her stomach and she paid little attention to the people crowding around her as she raised a hand to her eyes, closing them in a uncharacteristic display of weakness. She had left the hospital almost two days ago, yet the aftereffects of her allergic reaction still haunted her body. Fear also tormented her waking moments, for she was afraid of walking onto the street and being abducted again without any warning. The powerless feeling she'd experience before Nishikado Soujiro had sprung to her rescue had shaken Tsukushi to her core; being reminded of how vulnerable and weak she was frustrated her beyond comprehension. She had hardly been able to stand all of the codling that the F4 had lavished onto her during her stay at the hospital, while more urgent matters were at hand…

_"I can't find her…" Hanazawa Rui's handsome features screwed up in barely controlled rage, revealing a side of him that was startling bleak in comparison to his usual composed self. "I can't find Nakamaru Michiko anywhere. She's disappeared." His fingers curled into fists as he paced the room, seemingly confined in the small dimensions of the hospital suite._

_Mimasaka Akira maintained his composure better, though frustration was visible in every line of the frown he wore. "None of my father's men can track her down, either. She's hidden herself somewhere we can't get to."_

_A loud crash startled everyone in the room as glass shattered on the tiled floor, the remains of a vase scattering across the floor. Domyouji Tsukasa glowered as he stood over his handiwork, his eyes dark with fury. "We have to find her… That hag is going to regret that she ever laid a hand on Tsukushi."_

_The cause of his distress watched his angry outburst with worried eyes, which slowly traveled around the room; Tsukushi feared what the men would do to avenge the honor she wished they would ignore, for their own sakes. _

_From a corner in the room, Nishikado Soujiro twined his fingers together, stretching his long legs in a queer state of tranquility. His features were placid, elegant and unperturbed to Tsukasa's menacing form, and he regarded the other men as if Tsukushi was not in the room. "Once we recover the documents she's stolen from Rui, we'll deal with her. Nakamaru Michiko will beg for our forgiveness, once we get our hands on her."_

The overwhelming rage binding the four men together had frightened Tsukushi a little; she had known that they were not warm, cuddly teddy bear types that forgave insults against their elitist positions on a whim. Still, their infuriated attitudes had stirred up feelings of anxiousness in her and Tsukushi began to feel restless sitting around in her hospital bed. Later, she found herself unable to stay home and convalesce, so Tsukushi had returned to work the day after being released from the hospital to the chagrin of Tsukasa and the relief of Rui. Gladdened by her presence, Rui had taken it upon himself to supervise her and drove her to and from work, took her to lunch, and doted on her as she regained her strength. However, unable to bear any more of his attention, Tsukushi had snuck out that night when he had been occupied in a meeting with potential investors and decided to brave the train ride home by herself.

She hadn't expected the upset feeling to surface in her stomach, though, and was beginning to reflect negatively on her rash actions. It had seemed a good idea to run off on her own and fend for herself but as a cramp tensed in her stomach, Tsukushi realized the stupidity of her actions. The train car was uncomfortably warm; she could feel the heat of someone's breath on the back of her neck. Shifting from foot to foot, her feet aching, she grasped the steel bar overhead for support with all of her strength and opened her weary eyes once again as the train began to shudder to a halt at the approach of another station.

"Tsukushi-chan…"

A teasing voice called out in the crowd, disrupting the quiet; even in a packed train, no one spoke unless necessity required them to out of propriety. Surprised that someone had broken the near silence, Tsukushi forgot her troubles and glanced around, finding no familiar faces in the crowd.

"Tsukushi…"

The voice repeated itself again, low and throaty, a feminine tone that worried Tsukushi, her body tensing as she began to slowly recognize the voice. Straining to stand on her tip toes, she desperately searched for the location of the voice's owner, unable to see much amidst the black suits and tall bodies that surrounded her.

"Tsukushi."

Jumping in fright, Tsukushi felt a warm breath race down the back of her neck, and the familiar smell of a flowery perfume overwhelmed her nostrils as she whipped around to face the person who had whispered in her ear. Eyes wide, Tsukushi's hand flew to her mouth in surprise as she took in the person before her and her body flung to the side as the train abruptly halted to a stop.

Nakamaru Michiko peeked out from the crowds, her eyes fixated on Tsukushi with a disturbing coldness that belied her true emotions towards her former co-worker. A calculating smile pulled at the woman's features, disgust plainly written across her face, marring the beautiful features Tsukushi had once admired her for.

"Michiko-san…" Tsukushi's voice felt alien as it left her throat, unable to believe the presence before her, and her muscles tensed in preparation for a fight. Stepping forward, she saw the menace in her eyes reflected in Michiko's and her temper was only encouraged by the repulsive arrogance that surrounded her enemy.

"Tsukushi-chan, let's not be melodramatic, shall we?" Michiko's tone was sickeningly mocking, her tone lowered to a level as if she were speaking to a young child. The train departed from the station and the two women struggled to stand properly as the momentum pushed them against their surroundings. Failing to get closer to Michiko, Tsukushi found herself trapped between small spaces in the crowd.

"Let me be to the point, Tsukushi-chan." Though her words held little offense, Michiko regarded Tsukushi with hatred. "Mind your own business, little girl. I think I've warned you sufficiently – or did you enjoy lounging about in your hospital bed so much? Stay out of my way – this doesn't involve you and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

"Don't you dare tell me what to do – you're no better than filthy, disgusting garbage." Tsukushi spat, attracting the attention of those around them, strangers who turned to get a glimpse at the action. "You disgust me. You've betrayed your company and you're proud of what you've done!"

"My company betrayed me first!" Michiko lost her composure for a moment, her voice shrill and loud as she openly glared bitterly at Tsukushi. "The Hanazawa Corporation cares little for anyone but themselves – Hanazawa Rui deserves what he gets. After serving him for years, he barely acknowledges me with the respect I am owed!"

"You aren't worthy of anyone's respect," Tsukushi's words were low, anger filtering her tone as her voice shook with uncontrolled emotions. "You're filth!" She pushed forward through the crowd as the train began to slow to a stop once again, her fingers grasping out for Michiko; she was through with behaving herself.

Michiko dodged her advances, ducking beneath arms and briefcases of strangers as she retreated in haste from Tsukushi. Determined, Tsukushi followed in pursuit, pushing people aside in her attempt to capture Michiko and give her what she deserved. The doors of the train dinged open with a little song and Tsukushi watched in horror as Michiko managed to slip through them, the infuriating dim of her laughter echoing in Tsukushi's ears. Throwing herself towards the doors, Tsukushi managed to escape the train just as it almost caught her jacket in the doors. Michiko was already paces ahead of her, running through the crowds as she raced towards the escalators leading up to the street from the underground station. Forgetting the ailments that had bothered her before, Tsukushi tore off behind her, running with wild abandonment.

People flooded in her way as another train deposited passengers into the station, blocking her view, and Tsukushi fumbled as she tripped, falling against strangers. She pulled herself away from them without so much as an apology and continued on, her eyes fixated on Michiko's back as she began to ascend on the escalators. Struggling to follow, Tsukushi felt her heel slip to the side and her shoe disappeared into the crowds behind her as she lunged up the escalators. Reaching down swiftly, she pulled the other shoe from her foot and held firmly onto it, glancing up as she resumed her pace once again.

Despair filled her eyes, tears of frustration stinging her eyelids as Tsukushi felt her stomach fall; Michiko was nowhere to be seen. Whipping her head around, Tsukushi ran up the escalators, ignoring the annoyed glances of the strangers around her. She hurried up to the street, the cold pavement harsh against the bare soles of her feet as she scrambled over the dirt and grime. Letting out a moan of anguish, Tsukushi realized she'd failed, and she angrily brushed away the pathetic tears threatening to overflow from her eyes. Disgusted with herself, Tsukushi sank to the ground, wrapping her arms around her knees as she buried her head in them. People walked around her, openly gaping at the barefooted young woman practically sitting on the street, with one shoe in her hand, but Tsukushi took no notice of them. She hated herself for being so inadequate; the nausea returned to her stomach and she feared that she would retch on the street, as if to complete the disturbed image she was filling out quite nicely.

A vibration emitting from her side was the only thing that stopped her from emptying her stomach onto the sidewalk. Scrambling to stand again, Tsukushi's fingers groped for her pocket, pulling out her mobile phone. Her spirits lifted at the sight of the name flashing across the phone's screen and she raised it to her ear with renewed strength.

* * *

"What were you thinking, Makino?" Hanazawa Rui openly frowned at Tsukushi, disapproval overriding the worry that gripped him. They were sitting in the large master bathroom of his apartment, perched on the side of a mammoth bath tub that took over a good part of the room. He watched as Tsukushi wiped grime from her feet and legs, dirt transferring onto the stark white of a cotton washcloth.

Rui had arrived on the random street corner that Tsukushi had answered his call from, shocked to find her disheveled, babbling incoherently about Michiko appearing on her train. He'd originally called to scold her for leaving without him, irritated that she still refused his help when he so willingly offered it, but once he'd seen her barefoot and shivering his annoyance had vanished. They'd searched the streets for Michiko for a while on foot, then in the safety of his vehicle until Rui had taken the initiative to end the fruitless search. Ignoring Tsukushi's desperate pleas to take her home, he'd instead driven to his apartment, whisking her up to his home that occupied an entire floor of the building.

Awed by the plainness of his apartment, decorated minimally and in varying shades of white and pale green, she'd been shocked when Rui had suddenly picked her up by the waist and thrown her over his shoulder fire man style, claiming that he didn't want her small footprints leaving a trail of grime on his white carpet. He'd deposited her in the bathroom, the marble floor strong enough to withstand any of the grime she'd acquired, and helped her mop herself up. Embarrassed by his attentions, Tsukushi was glad he'd stopped trying to help her physically and instead opted for watching her, as if assuring himself that she was indeed capable of the task.

Rui stood abruptly and left the room, returning after a brief lapse with a pair of soft woolen trousers and faded sweatshirt, apparently not caring if they matched or not. Tsukushi accepted the clothes with a bow of her head, grateful for his consideration; in her haste to run after Michiko, she'd ripped her skirt a little above the knee and her shirt cuffs were inexplicably smudged with grit. Later, after she'd finished cleaning herself and changed into his clothes, Tsukushi sat in one of the two chairs at Rui's tiny dining table as he busied himself in the kitchen. Glancing around, she smiled to herself at the lack of decoration in Rui's apartment; it was beautiful in its simplicity, appearing straight out of the pages of an architectural magazine, but lacked any personal touch to imply that Rui was its sole occupant. Her heart saddened a little as she linked the lack of personality to Rui's sometimes lonely existence.

A firm hand placed a large mug of tea before her and Tsukushi blinked out of her day dreams, looking up to Rui with a sheepish smile of thanks. "I'm sorry I'm so useless, Hanazawa Rui." Taking a deep sip of the tea, savoring the warmth of the liquid as it slid down her throat, Tsukushi looked to him in barely disguised shame as he took a seat across from her. "I can't believe I couldn't manage to get a hold of her – she was right in front of me and I couldn't even do that…"

Drinking his own tea as he watched Tsukushi berate herself, Rui resumed his frown. "Why did you leave without me this evening?" He asked, choosing to ignore her comment. "You didn't even tell me you were leaving - I came back to my office and you'd just disappeared."

Chuckling nervously, Tsukushi lowered her eyes and rested her head on the palm of her hand as she glanced to the tabletop. "I've already caused you so much trouble, Hanazawa Rui. Aren't you tired of having to come save me?" She looked wryly to him, ashamed of herself. "You're always having to inconvenience yourself because of my foolishness."

"Don't be stupid." Rui's words came out surprisingly harsh and Tsukushi looked to him, taken aback. Brooding to himself, Rui pushed his cup irritably and rubbed his temples. "Why do you say such things? I came because I wanted to, Makino. I wish you would just trust me and depend on me, instead of trying to do things on your own… I wish you would lean on me, for a change."

Unable to respond, Tsukushi felt her breath catch as Rui's eyes raised to meet hers, unnerved by the pleading longing harbored in his dark look. She could not break his gaze, frozen by the seriousness of his face.

"Makino." Rui's voice seemed to caress her name, his tone softening as he tried to ease her discomfort as he continued. "I would do anything for you – but you need to let me do so… Don't push me away and run off on your own… You don't know how worried I was when you answered your phone and you couldn't even tell me where you were; you were practically blue from the cold by the time I got there."

Clearing her throat quietly, Tsukushi tried to force a smile to her face as she slowly began to understand the severity of what Rui was practically confessing. Guilt inexplicably washed over her as a particular face flitted across her mind's eye and she regarded Rui cautiously, afraid that she would hurt him unnecessarily if she voiced her true thoughts. She reluctantly opened her mouth to speak, to say something to break the wave of awkwardness that had fallen over them, when Rui suddenly reached into this pocket and pulled out his mobile phone. He stared blankly as the phone blinked, signaling an incoming call, while Rui remained transfixed by the sight of the identifying text revealing the caller's identity. Oddly, instead of answering the call himself, he held out the phone to Tsukushi with an agitated expression.

Surprised, she accepted the slim mobile phone with a curious look, answering the call when he offered no explanation. "Hello?" She asked quietly, watching Rui as he glanced away.

The phone was quiet for a moment, then a voice answered back, obviously troubled to find her on the other end. "Makino?" The anxiety in Domyouji Tsukasa's voice traveled audibly through the phone and Tsukushi's eyes widened.

"Domyouji?" She responded, clutching the phone tightly to her ear as she unsuccessfully tried to sound nonchalant.

"Makino, what's going on?" Tsukasa did little to hide the frustration he was feeling, not to mention the slightly irate undertone to his words.

"Uh, ah, I ran into some trouble earlier," Tsukushi swallowed deeply, unsure of why she felt suddenly afraid of the infuriated calm in his deep voice. "Nakamaru Michiko, um – she came to find me and told me to mind my own business… Hanazawa Rui called me just afterwards and came to get me…" Flashing a look to Rui, she found that he was still avoiding her gaze and she winced at the nervous tremor in her voice. She had done nothing wrong; yet, why did she feel guilty?

"Are you with him right now?" Tsukasa asked calmly, sounding oddly detached from the conversation. "Where are you two?" He didn't bother to wait for a response to his first question; he already knew her answer.

"At his apartment…" Tsukushi said quietly, wishing he would simply bid her good night and hang up. She felt so awkward, as if she was in the middle of something she didn't quite understand; Rui was cold just an arms length away and Tsukasa's words were cold in her ear.

"Tell him to drive you home when you're done." The concern that Tsukasa's words conveyed didn't quite meet his voice. "Apparently you're not as safe as we thought you were… But, since Rui seems to be taking such good care of you, I suppose I needn't worry about anything."

"Tsukasa," Tsukushi began, unsure of what to say, but he interrupted her once again.

"I'll call you tomorrow, Makino." Tsukasa's indifference hurt more than his direct disapproval did and Tsukushi desperately wished that he would give her a chance to explain. "Good night."

The click and silence that followed his hang-up settled heavily on her, especially as she realized he hadn't even inquired about how she was doing. Slowly shutting the phone, Tsukushi set it down on the table between her and Rui with shaky fingers. He finally moved his eyes onto her, unreadable, and he said nothing. Tsukushi made no effort to explain herself – the heaviness in her heart seemed to block any words from forming as she dealt with the realization that she had somehow inexplicably offended Tsukasa's good graces and trust in her.

* * *

Domyouji Tsukasa dropped his mobile with a careless hand onto the dark leather seat beside him, raking a hand through the black curls that covered his scalp in an unruly fashion. His eyes focused off in the distance on the reason he'd come to where he was, taking in the somewhat run down apartment building that housed Makino Tsukushi's personal life and treasured belongings. A light illuminated the window of the kitchen that held fond memories for him, his mind flitting back to cooking with her during what seemed to be ages ago, but he felt his emotions harden as he surmised it belonging to the home's other occupant, Makino Susumu. Tsukasa had come to see her, assuming Tsukushi to be safe in her apartment, rather incorrectly at that.

A dull ache enveloped his chest as the realization that Tsukushi did not depend on his as he did her overwhelmed him; in times of distress, she sought help from Rui. A small rational thought flitted across his mind, warning him that he was assuming too much – perhaps it was Rui at fault, stepping in to stake his claim to Tsukushi's heart. Rui had, after all, assured him that he was willing to equally battle for her affections. Still, though, Tsukasa couldn't shake the doubt that had formed the instant he'd heard the guilt in Tsukushi's voice, nor the fact that she had answered a private number that certainly did not belong to her. He called Rui to remind him of something trivial, unimportant now, and hadn't expected to find Tsukushi at the other end.

Leaning back into the leather seat, Tsukasa closed his eyes, wishing the skepticism out of his heart. He tried to focus on the memory of Tsukushi's arms around him as he'd laid by her hospital bed, despondently attempting to conjure the warmth of her body against his into his mind once again. He knew Rui posed no rival threat to him; deep inside, he had already known from that moment that Tsukushi had chosen him, even if she hadn't said so aloud. So why did he find it so difficult to trust her?

Sighing deeply, Tsukasa resisted the urge that used to consume him when he had been younger – the restless need to destroy anything in his path that stood in his way between him and what he desired. That restlessness used to encourage such rage in him that Tsukasa hardly knew himself sometimes and it still lurked within him, willing his every instinct to hurry over to Rui's apartment and settle the situation with his own two eyes. Self-discipline swayed him, though, and Tsukasa recognized himself as a man, not an immature boy who battled his way violently towards selfish goals. Makino Tsukushi had filled too much of his long abandoned heart with fleeting hope; he would not threaten his happiness with the desolate life he had once lived. His anger and suspicion would have to wait for another day.

"Take me home," Tsukasa requested quietly, not bothering to open his eyes as he addressed the driver seating in the seat in front of him. The car purred to a start in response and Tsukasa stole one last glance at the scene before him as they departed, wishing that that Tsukushi had been there waiting for him, just as he had been hoping she would…


	14. Kyoto, Part 1: Disruption

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Hana Yori Dango, which belongs entirely to Yoko Kamio-san. This story is purely a figment of my imagination.

**Chapter 14: Kyoto, Part 1 - Disruption**

Six hours after her phone call with Tsukasa, Makino Tsukushi was sleeping in the backseat of a vehicle, en route to Tokyo via the main expressway that acted as the major artery of travel between the capital of commerce and the capital of culture, Kyoto. Her body lay out on the backseat of the car, sandwiched between the leather upholstery and a wooly blanket Rui had wrapped around her shoulders before she had departed. Before he had driven her home from his apartment, the two had hatched a plan and Tsukushi had snuck back into her own place to collect some clothes and inform her brother that she would gone for a few days. Rui had arranged for her car, sending her off himself with a worried expression, wishing that he too was going with her…

_"Perhaps it's best if you went away for a few days." Rui watched her quietly, trying to be delicate with his words. He didn't want her to think he was chasing her away but he knew it was the best thing for her. "It won't guarantee your safety – not at all, I'm sorry to say – but obviously Michiko has been studying your movements. I think it would be best to change things up a little and throw her off of your trail."_

_"What should I do?" Tsukushi's face did little to hide the misery she was feeling, for her mind was still stuck on the cold phone call from Tsukasa; she wasn't terribly concerned for herself at the moment. _

_"I can send you to Kyoto for a days, if you would like." Rui said thoughtfully, "Or to anywhere you'd desire, really. Perhaps back to the inn that I took you to in Sendai several months back?"_

_At the mention of Kyoto, the night of the party flooded back to Tsukushi's memory. She recalled the conversation between them before her attack in which she'd promised to retrieve stolen documents for him and help to stop Michiko from overthrowing Rui as the company's CEO. Suddenly her heart felt lighter, as if a weight was lifting from her shoulders, and Tsukushi looked to him with renewed eagerness. She finally could help him, which she so wanted to with all of her might._

_"Kyoto sounds perfect." Her eyes met his with a pointed glance and Rui realized what she intended to do. His eyes narrowed a little as he frowned in slight disapproval, wishing she had picked any other option; he knew he'd selfishly mentioned Kyoto out of his own needs. How foolish of him to think she would disregard such a request when she was always jumping to his aid. Angry with himself, Rui decided to change her mind and ship her off somewhere as far away as possible. He didn't want her to get hurt anymore for his sake._

_"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked, willing her to change her mind._

When Tsukushi had defiantly refused to oblige, her heart set on Kyoto, Rui had quite reluctantly relented. He had arranged for safety precautions, though; unbeknownst to her, another car had left Tokyo in pursuit of her own, three of Rui's personal bodyguards in tow to guard over her. He'd left her with a special mobile phone to be used during her stay, declining to inform her that it contained a GPS device to track her movements in case of an emergency, trying to prepare for anything that might come. Frustrated with himself, Rui wished he could take off the time and accompany her so that he personally knew that she was safe, but the situation at work after the party was dire – reporters were constantly trying to sneak into the offices, searching out information about his status as the CEO. He was too busy running a clean up control than actually acting as the head of his company the last few days – sneaking off to Kyoto was simply unthinkable at the moment.

Tsukushi's eyes opened to the rays of early morning light filtering in through the car's windows, reflecting off of the expressway. Yawning, she stretched in the backseat and extended her legs farther out over the cushions. Snuggled beneath a blanket, she reluctantly pulled herself upright and surveyed her surroundings. The highway sped by past her as the black town car neared the main exit to the heart of Kyoto and Tsukushi began to feel a little trepidation as they approached her task.

From the front, her driver bowed his head a little and glanced to her in the review mirror. "We're almost to your hotel, Makino-san. I hope you slept well." Tsukushi smiled sheepishly at as he looked to her kindly, nodding her thanks. They drove in silence until they found themselves in the middle of Kyoto, driving through the busiest parts of the city, only stopping once the car had pulled into the circular drive of an immense hotel that spanned more stories into the sky than Tsukushi could count from the backseat of the vehicle.

A white gloved bellboy opened her door, bowing low as she reluctantly exited, nodding a little to his uniformed form. Glancing around, she was blown away by the richness of the hotel, her eyes traveling over the immaculate landscaped shrubs and trees that formed a traditional garden oasis amongst the steel and concrete exterior. The street faded from view behind the veil of the greenery and she hardly noticed when the driver led her away from the bustling outside, into the depths of the hotel. Modern steel and clean lines made up the inside, complimented by traditional Japanese art and wooden furniture, creating a world of its own; a water fountain took up much of the entry, beckoning the visitors inside.

Feeling the driver's hand pointedly touch her arm to wake her from her trance, Tsukushi tore her eyes off of the fine surroundings and coiffed guests, her eyes pleading with the man whose name she didn't even know. "Honestly, isn't this too much?" She whispered, her eyes darting around. "I can stay somewhere else - this looks like it costs a fortune. Take me somewhere else, okay?"

"Hanazawa-san has insisted on this hotel." Her driver stuck firmly to his position and Tsukushi followed as he headed to the front desk. Trying to distract him as he proceeded to check her in, confirming her reservation, Tsukushi began to grow more uncomfortable. "He said that you would be well taken care of here," Her driver looked to her with a sharp glance, as if wishing she would just be quiet and let him do his job, and Tsukushi shut her mouth reluctantly.

She allowed herself to whisked up the elevators to one of the top most floors of the hotel, her luggage in tow, and through a door that led her into a suite. Exploring a little, she could hardly believe Rui had put her up in such a place – the suite housed a bathroom the size of her apartment and an equally sized miniature kitchen, to boot. Hadn't they agreed she would only stay for three or four days, at the most? Returning to her luggage, Tsukushi found her driver gone, as well as the staff that had escorted her up, disconcerted to find herself suddenly alone in the luxurious surroundings. Sinking onto a plush sofa, she looked about, at a lost for what to do.

Her pocket began to move and Tsukushi scrambled for her phone, glad for a distraction. Flipping it open, her eyes scanned the screen eagerly as she began to read a lengthy email from Hanazawa Rui himself, her resolve strengthening once again.

* * *

Kyoto was full of temples, aged buildings still maintained and up-kept to preserve their traditional beauty. Tsukushi could recall touring many of the more famous ones during a junior high school excursion to the city, quite common for all schools at that age; Yuki and she had been awestruck by their vast size, their elegant structures that reminisced of a time long before her, and the memories held a fond space in her mind. Thirty minutes after Rui had contacted her, Tsukushi found herself at yet another one of Kyoto's temples, though one not as impressive nor as large as the ones she'd toured so many years ago. Old and weathered, the temple was no bigger than a small single family home, though it was still apparently popular – folded paper and written requests covered a wall reserved for such items and kimono clad shrine attendants worked diligently to sweep up fallen leaves from the gingko trees, their red and white silk kimonos glinting in the morning sun.

Waiting patiently on the steps of the shrine, elevated high above the street level and hidden by foliage, Tsukushi clutched her phone absently in her hand, her eyes scanning the incoming visitors for a sign of what she was there for. _Wait at the temple; sometime before noon a man will contact you,_ Rui had written, _he is a friend. He holds the documents that Michiko stole._

Gladdened that her purpose of coming to Kyoto was already being fulfilled, Tsukushi was anxious to retrieve the papers. She was determined to return to Tokyo that night once the papers were in hand and deliver them herself to Rui; the reason of leaving the city for her own safety's sake had long left Tsukushi's mind. From behind her, inconspicuously relaxing on a bench, sat her driver as he kept an eye on her, on guard in case Rui's contact proved to be more foe than friend. Tsukushi did not look back to him, though she could feel his eyes on her back, relieved to have company on her adventure. Glancing to her watch, Tsukushi tore her eyes off of the crowd for a moment, frowning at what she saw; it was already fifteen minutes past noon. Rui's man was late.

Worried, Tsukushi resisted the urge to call Rui and explain the situation. He'd already informed her of everything she'd needed to know and Tsukushi felt she was worrying unnecessarily. Apparently, the man she was to meet was an old friend of Rui's father who understand the importance of the documents to the family's financial safety and chose not to ask questions. He worked for the JK Group, she'd been told, a higher up that had noticed when the documents had been delivered by one of Michiko's lackeys. Curiosity had taken a hold of the stranger after he'd spied the Hanazawa Corporation's logo on the documents in passing and had immediately called upon Rui that morning to warn him of the impending danger. Thankfully for them, the family friend and stranger to Tsukushi had chosen to pilfer the documents off of his superior's desk and reserve them for himself until Hanazawa Rui could retrieve them – or in this case, Makino Tsukushi.

Tapping her foot impatiently, Tsukushi was beginning to lose her composed endurance; she was beginning to feel as if something was wrong with the whole situation. The timing of it all seemed too perfect, though she hadn't dare voice this opinion to Rui; instead, it lingered in the back of her mind, growing as the minutes passed. The flow of people around her diminished none, though no one looked in her direction and Tsukushi stood abruptly, losing her patience as twelve thirty approached. Surprised, she found herself facing a shrine attendant, a young woman holding a broom and a manila envelope in the other hand, her youthful face smiling serenely at Tsukushi.

"A man has requested that I give this to you." The woman's simple features betrayed that she knew nothing of what was happening and truly had just been recruited as a messenger. Glancing around her with a chuckle, the attendant smiled as if at a private joke. "He seemed too nervous to approach you himself. _Sumimasen_," With a short bow, the woman excused herself and Tsukushi watched as she headed back towards the shrine, off to finish her duties. Glancing over to her driver, who still retained his distance for the sake of secrecy, Tsukushi ran her fingers beneath the envelope's flap and opened it to reveal two papers and a handwritten note.

_Makino-san,_

_Please forgive me. I could not make our appointment today because I fear that someone has discovered my part in the removal of this sensitive document. I have sent you these two pages of the stolen document to restore your faith in me and I request that you meet me tomorrow morning in this same spot, at the same time._

_I promise that I will be here to hand over the rest of what rightfully belongs to the Hanazawa Corporation._

_Miwa Tatsuya_

Puzzled, Tsukushi scanned the note again, then raised her eyes to glance around her, searching for any sign of the person who had left the envelope. She didn't even know what Miwa Tatsuya looked like, though, and Rui hadn't provided her with a physical description of any sort. Frustrated, she hugged the envelope to her stomach, recognizing that she would be in Kyoto at least one more day, despite her wishes to return to Tokyo.

* * *

"Be quiet, old man." A rough voice whispered into the ear of another as a group of three stood behind a grove of trees, observing the scene from a safe distance. Makino Tsukushi stood within their sight, her frustrated face bringing smiles to two of the three, while a third stood uncomfortably rigid. From the pocket of his male captor, a gun was trained onto the elderly man, pushed into the crook of his back, and he could do nothing more than to stand helpless as the other two manipulated the situation.

Miwa Tatsuya wished he could call out to Tsukushi, who the sight of brought a strong sense of guilt over him. He had not wanted to drag her into the mess but he'd been left with no choice; he was at the mercy of his captors. Looking behind to them, a handsome man and woman who argued more than they cooperated, Tatsuya regretted that he had ever taken an interest in the matter. True, he had spied the Hanazawa logo on the papers but he'd never taken them – someone certainly had seen him recognizing the company's crest, though, and he'd found himself being thrown into a car and beaten as he'd left work the night before. The woman, whose name Tatsuya had surmised was Michiko, had given him instructions of what to do and he'd unwillingly called Rui at an ungodly hour the night before his rendezvous with Tsukushi to inform him that he had the documents in hand.

Little did he know that Rui had shipped Makino Tsukushi to him that night until he'd received a call a few hours prior to set up a meeting between the two. Tatsuya's heart dropped as he felt the pressure of the gun increase into his back, as if the man wished him to make a mistake so that he would have an excuse to use the weapon, and Tatsuya relinquished any thought of warning Tsukushi of the impending danger. He was as helpless as she was now; time would soon reveal what was in store for them both.

* * *

Tsukushi knew something was amiss with the whole situation.

If Miwa Tatsuya could hand over two pages of the document, why not all of it? Wasn't it just as dangerous meeting twice than to simply turn over the offending document all at once? Confused, she leaned back, water swishing around her body as bubbles snuck into her hair. Tsukushi had returned to her hotel disheartened, determined to return to the temple in the morning and extract an explanation from Miwa herself. For now, though, she had no desires to explore Kyoto anymore and had retired to her bath, reclining in the depths of the tub as she contemplated the situation.

Unable to reach Rui, she had dismissed her driver and made up her mind to stay in the safety of the hotel until she left the next morning. Idly looking at the wrinkled pads of her fingertips, prune like after almost an hour in the bathtub, Tsukushi reluctantly rinsed herself off and wrapped her bare body in a towel, padding across the cold tiled floor to the door leading to her room. Shaking water from her long hair, she halted mid-step as the unmistakable click of a door opening caught her attention. Caught of guard, she hurried to hide behind the door, peeking out from behind it to the bed, where her clothes lay. More concerned about being caught in nothing but a towel by the intruder, Tsukushi mentally kicked herself for not bringing her clothes into the bath with her. Footsteps echoed through the suite, magnified by the wooden floor in the entrance, and Tsukushi scrambled from the bathroom to the bed, hurrying to reach for her clothes.

Keeping the towel tight around her, she struggled to cram herself into a pair of pants, tripping over her own feet in the process. Had Michiko discovered her where she'd been hiding? Tsukushi nervously pulled the legs of the pants over her knees, worried about who she would find beyond the closed door of her bedroom when the ominous click of the door opening froze her in place. The bedroom door swung open and a tall figure strode through, loosening a tie from around his neck, and Tsukushi gasped at the sight of him. The man froze, eyes so wide that she could see the white all around his pupils, and the pants fell down around her ankles in shock.

"Y-you, what are you doing here?" Tsukushi whispered, holding the towel so tightly around her she felt it constricting her breath.

"W-what, what…" Domyouji Tsukasa's eyes couldn't seem to tear themselves off of the sight of her, wet hair clinging to her neck, the white towel wet from her body clinging inappropriately to her curves. Willing his eyes away from the milky expanse of her exposed skin, Tsukasa reluctantly turned on his heel and faced the opposite direction, smacking a hand to his face, covering his eyes.

Tsukushi's body felt like it was on fire, blushing from embarrassment, and she scrambled to grab some clothes. Tsukasa heard the door to the bathroom slam shut with a deafening bang and he slowly turned his head, inching around to see if she was still standing behind him. His mind flashed to the sight of her wrapped in nothing but a towel and he swallowed deeply, ripping the tie from around his neck, as it seemed to grow tighter and suffocate him.

"Makino?" He called, stepping closer to the door apprehensively. "Makino, what are you doing here?" He asked the obvious, his eyes traveling to the bed, which was covered with clothing and toiletries. Confused, he knocked on the door, only to be surprised when it cracked open. Glad that she was willing to cooperate, Tsukasa had no time to dodge the large bottle of shampoo that came cracking down on his head.

"Pervert!" Tsukushi's voice yelled from behind the door, muffled only slightly. More objects came raining down on Tsukasa's head and he stumbled away from the door, still within range of the bars of soap, hand towels, and toothpaste that she threw at him from the safety of the bathroom. Holding his head, Tsukasa tried to reason with her and move out of her aim at the same time, giving up when a hair dryer came crashing to his feet.

"Makino, what the hell is this?" He yelled back, reaching out for the door, determined to face his attacker head on. As if she sensed his intentions, the door slammed shut and Tsukushi scrambled to press in the lock on the handle just before he could reach her. Banging a fist on the door, Tsukasa listened to the rustling sound of cloth, and he stepped back in horror as he realized she was dressing just out sight. The thought of her wet hair and damp body flitted across his mind once again and he slapped a hand to his cheek, willing it away. Curse his memory!

"Domyouji, how did you get in here?" Tsukushi called out, pulling clothes over herself without paying much attention until she found that she trying to stuff her two feet into one pant leg. Slowing down to a reasonable pace, she listened for any noise on the other side, surprised to find that he had relented. "Why are you here?"

"I – I, this is my hotel," Tsukasa answered, still distracted by his memories. His eyes were shut tightly as he struggled to think of anything but her, conjuring up images of kittens and all of the money in his bank account, in an attempt to forget what he had walked in on.

"Your hotel?" Tsukushi paused as she pulled her shirt over her head, her jaw dropping.

"Yes," Tsukasa answered, nearly jumping out of his skin as the door creaked open ever so slowly. Bracing himself for an onslaught of bathroom accessories, he held up his hands to shield himself, but none ever came. Instead, Tsukushi's face appeared around the doorway and she stepped out, fully dressed.

"You own this?" She echoed, glancing around the room. "All of this?"

"Kaede Hotel," Tsukasa met her inquiring gaze, nodding. "My mother started this chain of hotels. This Kyoto branch is the home office of them all. I always stay here when I come on official business… But what are you doing here?"

"I'm here on business too." Tsukushi said defensively, crossing her arms over her chest, preparing herself for another fight. "Hanazawa Rui sent me here to do something for him. He reserved this room for me – but I never expected you to show up! Do you make it a habit to walk in on the guests of your hotel, Domyouji?"

"Rui reserved this room for you?" Tsukasa asked, surprised. His feathers ruffled slightly at the mention of Rui but it was quickly lost as he began to chuckle, realizing the error in his ways. "Of course…"

"What?" Tsukushi was confused by his smiling face, shocked at the sudden change in his demeanor. "What's so funny?"

"There is always at least one hotel suite reserved in my name here, just in case I drop by." Tsukasa explained, sitting abruptly on her bed. Lacing his fingers together, he continued to smile. "Rui and the others have always made reservations or checked in under my name – only this time he never told me and when I got here, I assumed my room was vacant… I guess I was wrong."

The cheeky undertones of his smile annoyed Tsukushi and she reached out, trying to push him off of her bed. "If you own this hotel, then get out… Go find another room." No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't mange to push him off, though. "Get out, Domyouji!"

"I can't." Tsukasa studied her persistent expression and relented, standing slowly at her prompting. "There is a convention staying at the hotel this weekend – my room was the only remaining vacancy."

"You can't be serious," Tsukushi struggled to push him towards the door, determined not to take no as answer. "I'm sure there's somewhere else – this place is huge! Just go away-"

"Let's talk after you fix your shirt." Tsukasa looked over to his shoulder to her, his voice deadpanned. "It's inside out."

Dropping her hands to her side, Tsukushi glanced to her shirt, mortified to find that he was indeed correct; her shirt was inside out – and backwards, at that. Tsukasa closed the bedroom door behind him, a smile tugging at his lips as he left her alone to remedy the problem.

* * *

"Why are you in Kyoto, anyways?" Tsukushi asked as she picked through a plate of food, sipping a large spoonful of soup as she observed him. The two sat on the floor on their own sides of a large coffee table that took up the middle of the living room, plates of food scattered before them.

In order to placate her, Tsukasa had ordered a small feast from room service as she had changed, laughing when she had then proceeded to call the front desk and demand to know of any room openings. Tsukushi had been determined to ship Tsukasa off to a different room but after the reassurance of three hotel employees, she had come to realize that the hotel was truly booked full. Apparently, it was the height of the season for the hotels of Kyoto; there was not a room to be found in the Kaede, much less in the city. Tsukushi had had no choice but to accept the fact that she was stuck with Tsukasa, at least temporarily.

"I had to come sign a contract with some oil company from America. They're investing 90 million yen in one of our branches oversees," Tsukasa said casually, taking a large bite of fish from his own plate, as if the logistics meant little to him. Shifting around on his bum, he remembered how little he cared for sitting on the floor.

Choking on her food, Tsukushi stared wide eyed at him. Tsukasa did little than to pour a more wine into her glass and push it into her hand, motioning for her to drink. "Why are you here, Makino?" Tsukasa asked bluntly, ignoring whatever else she might have wanted to ask as he looked to her blankly. "Why did Rui send you here?"

Hurrying to take a long sip of her wine, Tsukushi debated whether or not she should tell him. Rui and him were best friends, she reasoned, savoring the taste of the vintage drink as it drifted over her tongue. Surely Rui would tell Tsukasa if she didn't, so what was the harm? Setting her glass down, she looked to him and began to pour out the whole story, beginning with Michiko showing up on her train. The strained tension that had dampened the mood over their telephone call the night before had long disappeared. Tsukasa reflect guiltily on the suspicion he'd harbored for Tsukushi the night prior as she informed him fully of the situation, relieved that he hadn't acted impulsively.

"Why didn't Rui come himself?" For the first time, Tsukasa thought judgmentally of his friend, irritated that he had put the responsibility on Tsukushi rather than taking care of the problem himself. It was a man's responsibility to protect his woman from harm and Tsukasa surveyed Tsukushi with renewed annoyance; wasn't it also the woman's responsibility to behave and not put herself in harm's way?

"I volunteered to," Tsukushi rebuked his question with a petulant tone, aggravated by the obvious emotions he regarded her with. "I wanted to help Hanazawa Rui."

Surveying her silently, Tsukasa said nothing; he took a deep drink of his wine, displeasure written all over his features as he struggled to hold in his questions and comments from her. Tsukushi resumed eating, uncomfortable with the intensity of his eyes, and busied herself with making a dent in all of the food Tsukasa had ordered. He continued to watch her, knowing that what he had to say would infuriate her even further.

"Don't go back to the temple tomorrow." He said, trying to soften his tone somewhat as her eyes flashed angrily to him. "You yourself said you thought the whole situation was fishy," He said defensively as she gripped tightly to her fork, as if she was considering sticking it into his leg. "I don't think you should go back. This whole situation doesn't feel right! Rui should be the one taking care of this, not you…" Tsukasa muttered, meeting her defiant gaze with one of his own.

"I have to go back," Tsukushi said determinedly, still refusing to let go of her fork as Tsukasa eyed her warily. "I have to see who comes tomorrow. What if Miwa really does show?"

"Let Rui handle it!" Tsukasa's voice lowered as anger overtook him. He set down his glass roughly, splashing wine over the edge of the rim, and glared at her. "Why is this your responsibility all of a sudden? What if something happens to you?"

"Nothing is going to happen," Tsukushi frowned, irritated by his vexation. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much-"

"Is that why you ended up in the hospital?" Tsukasa yelled, startling Tsukushi. She stared at him wide eyed and the fear in her eyes provoked him even further. Growling deep in his throat, he stood abruptly, throwing down his napkin onto the table. As he stalked towards the bedroom, Tsukushi watched in confusion as he pulled his sweater off ferociously, throwing it on the floor as he furiously began to undo the buttons of his oxford shirt.

"What are you doing?" She asked, puzzled. She'd never seen someone get so mad that they began to strip off their clothes randomly, and she worriedly waited for him to start on his belt.

"I'm taking a shower," Tsukasa turned to her with a fierce expression, his brows knitted. He threw the door to the bedroom open and disappeared inside, slamming the bathroom door shut. Tsukushi sat still as she heard the water in the bath begin to run, setting down her fork absently, forgetting about the food before her. Tsukasa was such a pain sometimes, she realized as she cradled her head in her hands, closing her eyes tightly as she tried to ignore his presence in the other room.

* * *

Tsukasa stepped into the living room quietly, a towel wrapped around his neck, and he rubbed it at the dampness on his neck. Glancing about, he didn't see Tsukushi and he walked around the sofas, worried that she had taken off in a revengeful temper. He rounded back to the coffee table and stopped short, surprised to find her laying on the floor. Curled up next to the table, her legs pulled to her body, she was sleeping silently on the soft carpeted rug, her head resting on her arms. Kneeling down at her feet, Tsukasa reached out and gently patted her leg, trying to wake her.

Murmuring in her sleep, Tsukushi fidgeted somewhat, but did not wake, and Tsukasa smiled down at her. Glancing around, he pushed the throw pillows off of the sofa and moved closer to her, sliding his hands beneath her body. Hoisting her up, he pulled her to his chest and moved her to the sofa's cushions, sitting down with her. Resting her head on his lap, he leaned back into the soft chair and brushed the stray strands of hair from her face, his eyes resting on the peaceful sight of her closed eyelids. Smiling to himself, he reached for her hand, grasping her slender fingers in his. She must not have slept very much the night before, he deduced, en route from Tokyo to Kyoto, and the excitement of the day didn't help her any.

He pulled a blanket down over her, covering her up, and settled comfortably back into the pillows. He hadn't wanted to sleep on the couch by himself, after all; the night would be more much pleasant with her laying next to him. Reaching for the television remote from the side table, Tsukasa lowered the volume and rested his head on his fist as he began to flip randomly through the various channels, unperturbed by sleep. Tsukushi's fingers grasped his firmly in her slumber, her head laying comfortably on his lap, and she took no notice as the night dragged on, unconsciously content to stay just where she was.

**A Note From Me:** _First of all, I apologize so much for the long, long delay in these chapters... After my last update, I came down with the stomach flu and I took a vacation from life for about two weeks. I couldn't eat and I got so behind in school... Unfortunately, after that, my college had midterms and that took up most of my time afterwards... I apologize for just leaving everyone hanging, wondering if I had abandoned the story. :) I promise I haven't. I have five more chapters to post and then this story is complete... I can't wait! I've never finished a story before, so this is quite an accomplishment for me._

Thanks for all of your kind replies while I was away... I know I am horrible about little mistakes grammar wise, etc. and I apologize - I never spend as much time editing as I should, so please forgive me for that. I'm sure this update will not be perfect, to say the least, just to warn you. :) Thanks for always kindly pointing them out to me, though, instead of making me feel foolish. I really appreciate the dedication and effort you all put into your reviews, so keep it up.

I should update in a week or less and I'll try not to leave this alone for very long, so I can get this finished up. :) I hope you enjoy this update.


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